FBIF Food & Beverage Innovation (ID: Foodinnovation) recently learned that Nongfu Spring, using globally leading technology, has developed a new plant-based yogurt product that is about to hit the market. In the auspicious Year of the Golden Pig 2019, Nongfu Spring, known in the FMCG industry for its prolific product launches, has been releasing major new products in rapid succession, showcasing its full firepower.
But Nongfu Spring is clearly not content with just sequels and updates to its classic products.
We further interviewed Nongfu Spring executives to confirm this news. It is indeed true that the beverage maker is now venturing into milk products. This revolutionary product, developed over three years of meticulous research, is packed with selling points.
Will its launch create a brand-new category in China's yogurt market? What is the R&D innovation story behind this new product, and can it spark a new wave of product innovation in the domestic dairy industry? Why is Nongfu Spring launching such a product at this time, and what strategic significance does it hold?
This article will provide an exclusive first interpretation, and below we will unveil the mystery of the new product's images.
01 The Global Plant-Based Yogurt Trend: Why Has It Become a Consumer Favorite?
"Plant-based yogurt" is still a relatively unfamiliar concept to Chinese consumers, but globally, it is already an emerging food trend. How did it become popular?
Plant-based yogurt was born out of the "plant-based food wave" that has been rising globally in recent years. According to Innova Market Insights data, global demand for plant-based foods grew by 62% between 2013 and 2017.
This wave stems from modern consumers' increasing demands for healthy food. In the dairy alternatives market, especially plant-based beverages, they have become the leaders of this wave. Particularly for specific groups—such as those with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high blood lipids (the "three highs"), lactose intolerance, or higher health standards—there is an urgent desire for dairy alternatives that better meet their health needs.
On the other hand, advances in modern fermentation technology have allowed plant-based yogurts to achieve protein levels that meet or even exceed those of animal-based yogurts.
In short, the pursuit of health and advancements in fermentation technology are the two main driving forces behind the rise of plant-based yogurt.
Currently, the largest market for plant-based yogurt is the United States. Nielsen data shows that in recent years, the growth rate of plant-based yogurt in the U.S. market has been ten times that of regular yogurt. In the 52 weeks ending August 11, 2018, sales of plant-based yogurt at all food retailers grew 54% year-over-year, reaching a total market size of $174 million, with huge growth potential.
02 Key Selling Point: "Plant-Based, Healthier"—The Vegetarian Salad of the Yogurt World
Plant-based yogurt is not fermented from traditional milk but entirely from plant proteins. "Healthier" is the core selling point.
According to Nongfu Spring's official promotion of this new plant-based yogurt, its main features are zero cholesterol and low saturated fat.
Modern people face increasing psychological and physiological stress, leading to more frequent health issues such as obesity, allergies, the "three highs," and lactose intolerance. In China, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases account for over 40% of total national mortality, ranking first and showing a rising trend. Cholesterol is a major cause of these diseases. According to GB 28050-2011, the National Food Safety Standard for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods, adults should not exceed 300 mg of cholesterol per day in their diet.
Additionally, excessive saturated fat intake is harmful to health. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and those of several European countries recommend limiting saturated fat intake.
According to literature published in "Health Expo" and "Japanese Medical Introduction," plant-based milk alternatives, such as fermented soy milk, have shown positive effects in improving lipid metabolism, alleviating osteoporosis, lowering blood pressure, and managing diabetes.
Furthermore, over 90% of Asians have some degree of lactose intolerance, which can lead to diarrhea after consuming dairy products. Drinking plant-based yogurt eliminates this concern entirely.
In summary, plant-based yogurt is a very friendly new health choice for people with the "three highs," those seeking light fat intake, and those with lactose intolerance.
Therefore, Nongfu Spring's new plant-based yogurt, with its zero cholesterol and low saturated fat selling points, aligns with dietary nutrition recommendations. We also found that it features 0 sodium, 0 trans fatty acids, and 0 lactose, not only meeting the needs of the large lactose-intolerant consumer base in Asia but also fitting Nongfu Spring's long-standing product development philosophy of natural and healthy.
"If we were to make an analogy, our plant-based yogurt is like a vegetarian salad in the yogurt world," said the person in charge of Nongfu Spring's plant-based yogurt in our interview.
Nongfu Spring has launched three flavors: almond, coconut, and walnut. Known for its strict standards in raw materials, Nongfu Spring has carefully selected high-quality ingredients for the three new plant-based yogurt products.
The soy milk base in all products uses non-GMO soybeans. The almonds in the almond yogurt are imported from California, USA, where the nuts are sweet and crunchy, perfectly blending into the yogurt's richness. The coconut milk comes from Indonesia, where the optimal growing zone for coconuts is within five degrees latitude above and below the equator. Nongfu Spring's coconuts are grown on the equator line, producing excellent-tasting fruit. The walnuts come from Xinjiang, where the fruits, influenced by Tianshan snowmelt and sunlight, have light-colored kernels, fragrant flavor, and high nutritional value.
Almond flavor Walnut flavor
It is precisely because of strict control over raw material quality that this new product guarantees both taste and nutrition, with each cup of Nongfu Spring plant-based yogurt containing 4.0 grams of protein, meeting or exceeding the standard for animal-based yogurt, yet healthier than animal-based yogurt.
03 Disruptive Innovation Technology: Creating China's First Mid-to-High-End Low-Temperature Plant-Based Yogurt with Excellent Taste and Nutrition
In China, when a new product is born, besides health and nutrition, the most concerning question is undoubtedly: How does it taste?
The author personally tasted it, and the yogurt has the sweet and rich flavor of fermented plant protein, combined with the smoothness of nuts and the aroma of nut kernels—unexpectedly delicious.
After in-depth research, we found that achieving this wonderful taste is not easy.
In fact, developing the taste of plant-based yogurt has always been a major challenge. For example, plant-based yogurts often have a strong starchy feel, beany flavor, or bitterness, which directly affect the consumer drinking experience.
To make plant-based yogurt comparable in flavor to regular yogurt, Nongfu Spring assembled a global top team in related fields, spent three years developing about 1,000 formulas, and conducted taste tests and functional experiments with 4,017 people, ultimately crafting these three disruptive products that prove plant-based yogurt can be both delicious and healthy.
What innovative technology solved the major pain point of plant-based yogurt development—the taste issue?
We consulted with the relevant person in charge at Nongfu Spring, and surprisingly, during the development of plant-based yogurt, Nongfu Spring pioneered the use of advanced grinding technology from the pharmaceutical industry. We speculate that this technology likely comes from Nongfu Spring's parent company, Yangshengtang, which has accumulated expertise in developing and producing pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health foods.
This technology achieves a smaller particle size and smooth texture, with an average particle size of about 30 microns, almost identical to regular yogurt, while retaining over 95% of plant fiber. Even on a global scale, this is a top-tier technology in yogurt R&D.
In fermentation technology, the R&D team screened strains from Denmark and France from a vast strain library, and through innovative fermentation processes, solved the problem of plant protein products turning sour and rancid after fermentation, achieving a clean flavor comparable to cow's milk yogurt.
To ensure taste and nutrition, these three products are low-temperature cold-chain products, stored at 0-8°C. In terms of channels, they will mainly cover premium supermarkets, imported goods supermarkets, convenience stores, and other modern retail channels.
A Nongfu Spring representative also revealed to FBIF that they are actively developing ambient-temperature plant-based yogurt, which is expected to be fully launched soon.
04 Conclusion
In recent years, the yogurt category has been on an overall growth trajectory in the global market.
China's yogurt market growth is leading the world, having surpassed the market capacity of milk. According to AC Nielsen 2017 data, China's dairy market reached 104.7 billion yuan, with the yogurt category reaching 47.5 billion yuan, surpassing pure milk for the first time to become the largest sub-category.
At the same time, amid huge market opportunities, the yogurt market is highly fragmented, with intense competition in product innovation, pricing, and distribution.
As a latecomer to the dairy industry, Nongfu Spring has not chosen to compete head-on with current yogurt market giants but has taken a different path, recognizing the global rise of plant-based beverages and creating a brand-new category. This undoubtedly generates considerable anticipation for the product.
What impact will this product have on the competitive landscape of the yogurt market? Let's wait and see what the market tells us.
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