Califia Farms, one of the leading brands of non-dairy nut milk, is moving into the yogurt market. The company just launched a new line of probiotic, drinkable yogurts made from almond and coconut milks. Califia CEO, Greg Steltenphol, is “pretty darn excited.”
The new line of yogurt beverages comes in both single and multiple serving bottles in a range of four flavors: Unsweetened Plain, Super Berry, Mango, and Strawberry. Steltenphol told Food Navigator-USA that these products are a ‘breakthrough’ due to their unique probiotic cultures and ‘batch fermentation.’ This process allows for the probiotics to be “a part of the whole food, versus being fortified.” Steltenphol also upheld the taste of yogurts, assuring that each flavor is just as delicious as its dairy-based counterparts.
The yogurts join Califia’s ever-growing product lines of nut milks, creamers, cold brews, and juices. The company is moving full steam ahead since its $15 million lease with an equipment financing company last fall. The lease enabled Califia to triple its production, allowing for this product expansion.
Califia is now on trend with the booming consumer interest in probiotics. In addition to saukerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi, both dairy and plant-based milk companies are adding probiotic and cultured yogurts to their offerings. Good Karma, a flaxmilk company, already introduced a line of four drinkable probiotic yogurts, along with SoDelicious, Kite Hill, and Ripple which all carry a range of cultured, spoonable vegan yogurts.
To attract attention in this new market space, Steltenphol assured Food Navigator-USA that Califia plans to focus on consumer education. “The US market is in the very early stage of understanding probiotics. So, I think any brand that seriously enters the category has to take one some custodianship of education.” He cautioned that the market around probiotics ‘is full of buzz words,’ and that Califia plans to equip their customers with the proper knowledge to ensure they make the best decisions in regards to their health.
Image Credit: Califia Farms
