Innovations in probiotic dairy products are on the rise. This is a reflection of the increasing demand for probiotics due to consumers’ interest in health and wellbeing. Dairy was the third most commonly named “functional food” in the 2011 Functional Foods Survey conducted by the International Food Information Council.
Yogurt is the probiotic market driver for all food categories, and spoonable and drinkable yogurt account for more than 90% of all probiotic dairy product launches. Global sales of probiotic yogurt grew from $6.8 billion in 2003 to $13.7 billion in 2008, and sales are predicted to double in value by 2013.