Yoplait, a brand of General Mills, Minneapolis, will be releasing a new formula with a 25% sugar reduction and higher protein in its Original yogurt cups next month. The news was announced yesterday at its annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in Boca Raton, Fla.

The lower sugar recipe is also lower in calories, moving from 170 to 150 calories. The brand will now be using more milk in the Original recipe, which will increase the protein in a 6-ounce cup of yogurt by one gram, from 5 grams to 6 grams.

The company had already reduced sugar in three other yogurts since 2007: Yoplait Go-Gurt, Yoplait Trix and Yoplait Kids – by nearly 25%.

The sugar reduction is the latest in Yoplait Original’s continuing renovation. Two years ago, the brand removed high-fructose corn syrup from its yogurts. In 2009, Yoplait stopped using milk from cows treated with the rBGH growth hormone.

The Dannon Co., White Plains, N.Y., launched a similar low-sugar initiative at this time last year. The company’s goal was to reduce the amount of total sugar to 23 grams or less per 6-ounce serving in all of its products for children and 70% of the company's products overall.