Greek Yogurt Powder Makes More Products Possible

Greek yogurt has singlehandedly revolutionized the yogurt industry, and everyone wants a piece of that growth. With a new Greek yogurt powder ingredient, Glanbia Nutritionals (Fitchburg, WI) aims to help food manufacturers in the Americas leverage that Greek yogurt appeal in a wider range of products.

According to Glanbia, “OptiSol 1061 is a patent-pending ingredient that adds the distinct, authentic flavor and health halo of Greek yogurt to a wide range of food and beverage applications.” Already, more types of “non-yogurt” packaged foods-everything from salad dressing to nutrition bars-are harnessing Greek yogurt’s appeal. OptiSol 1061 should make it easier for other food and drink manufacturers to do just that, Glanbia says.

What makes Greek yogurt powder so manufacturing friendly? Namely, its dry state. “Formulating with actual yogurt is extremely difficult because it’s a perishable, fermentable product. Having something in dry form is much easier from a development, handling, and stability standpoint,” says Vicky Fligel, Glanbia’s business development manager. Thanks to its ease in application, OptiSol 1061 can be used in everything from fresh dairy products to beverages, bars, cereals, desserts, sauces, and dressings.

For beverages, in particular, the powder offers an additional advantage. Fligel says that proteins typically add more viscosity to a formula once they undergo the heating and processing steps required for beverages like yogurt drinks. (From the start, Greek yogurt itself contains more protein than traditional yogurt. OptiSol 1061, for instance, contains up to 60% protein.) Fligel says Greek yogurt’s powder form doesn’t impact viscosity and so it can be included in more types of beverages.

OptiSol 1061 isn’t the first Greek yogurt powder on the market, but Fligel says it offers specific advantages. For one, it contains the highest protein percentage of any yogurt powder on the market. But also, says Fligel, “it’s the first to meet the standard of identity of yogurt prior to drying. This means that we are essentially making yogurt and then drying it into a powder form.”

According to Glanbia and other industry estimates, Greek yogurt now accounts for 40% of the overall yogurt market, totaling annual sales (in North America) of $2.2 billion. OptiSol is currently available to North and South American clients. Glanbia plans to expand distribution to Europe and other global markets.

Jennifer Grebow
Editor-in-Chief
Nutritional Outlook magazine
jennifer.grebow@ubm.com

Photo © iStockphoto.com