Activia® Probiotic Yogurt

Groupe Danone, France

(The Dannon Co., White Plains, N.Y.)

Available in Europe for nearly two decades, Activia will reach U.S. shores this month, claiming to be the first and only probiotic yogurt that’s clinically proven to help naturally regulate the digestive system in two weeks, when eaten daily as part of a healthy and balanced diet.

Activia is already one of Groupe Danone’s best-selling yogurt products globally, generating some 650 million Euros in 2004 sales in more than 20 countries, primarily in Europe and Asia.

While the global probiotic yogurt and dairy drinks market is estimated at $10 billion, the U.S. market is relatively small, though the functional yogurt market is growing faster than 90 percent, according to The Dannon Co., the U.S. fresh dairy unit of Groupe Danone.

Each 4-ounce serving of Activia contains billions of beneficial cultures, including Danone’s exclusive Bifidus Regularis™. Activia works by helping to reduce long intestinal transit time — the time it takes food to pass through the digestive system.

Dannon’s U.S. launch of Activia will be supported by a marketing plan including advertising, consumer promotions and in-store promos scheduled to begin in February. Available in four- and eight-packs at a suggested retail price of $2.49 and $4.49 respectively, Activia will come in six flavors: Strawberry, Vanilla, Blueberry, Peach, Prune and Mixed Berry.

Tesco, United Kingdom

Great Britain’s supermarket giant has launched a new flavor in its Finest line of yogurt-based smoothies, Vanilla Bean & Honey. Available at Tesco locations throughout the United Kingdom, the smoothie purports to “have blended together vanilla from Madagascar, whole-milk yogurt and fresh honey, combined with fruit, so you can really indulge yourself.”

The new smoothie is priced at £1.49 per 500 milliliter plastic bottle.

Albert Heijn B.V., Netherlands

Albert Heijn offers its AH Vers Geperst range of smoothie products to consumers in the Netherlands. Flavors available are Aardbei (strawberry); Kiwi, Sinaasappel, Banaan & Yogurt (kiwi, orange, banana and yogurt); Banaan, Bosbes & Yogurt (banana, bilberry and yogurt); and Mango, Passievruch & Yogurt (mango, passionfruit and yogurt). Each 500 milliliter smoothie retails for 1.99 Euro.