MINNEAPOLIS — Yoplait’s cup has runneth over with recipe tweaks and reformulations in recent years as General Mills, Inc. aims to align the yogurt brand with consumer health trends. Most recently, the company has reduced sugar in the Yoplait Original line by 25%.
The new recipe, now with 20 fewer calories and an additional gram of protein per 6-oz serving, was developed over three years with more than 70 General Mills employees working on a variety of product improvements. To reduce the sugar, the team added milk and changed the natural flavorings. The new Yoplait Original tastes slightly less sweet but still contains no artificial sweeteners or flavors, the company said.
The latest iteration of the product line follows Yoplait’s removal of high-fructose corn syrup and the discontinued use of dairy with rBGH/rBST growth hormone in 2009.
“Our consumers are our top priority, and when they voiced concerns over the amount of sugar in our products we were determined to find a solution,” said Susan Pitt, marketing manager for Yoplait. “We understand that making good nutritional choices isn’t always easy. With less sugar, fewer calories and more protein per cup, we have no doubt that our renovated line of Yoplait Original yogurts will make it easier than ever for our consumers to feel good about their daily yogurt choice.”
The reformulated Yoplait Original line has 150 calories (down from 170), 6 grams of protein (up from 5), 2 grams of fat (up from 1.5) and 18 grams of sugar (down from 26).
General Mills also recently removed artificial colors and flavors from the brand’s children’s yogurts and dropped aspartame from the Yoplait Light line of reduced-calorie yogurts.
“Consumer-first renovation, innovation and investment have returned our overall U.S. yogurt business to sales and profit growth,” said Kendall J. Powell, chairman and chief executive officer of General Mills, during a March 18 earnings call. “We are now the fastest-growing of the major yogurt manufacturers, and we are gaining share at an accelerating pace...”