Food processing news : American food company General Mills will roll out a new yogurt range in the US this month in the form of YQ by Yoplait that is made from ultra-filtered milk, and is claimed to be high on protein and less on sugar.

YQ by Yoplait from General Mills

YQ by Yoplait will be launched in eight flavors – plain, strawberry, blueberry, vanilla, lime, coconut, mango and peach, and is set to be available in leading grocery and retail stores across the US. YQ by Yoplait price will be $4.99 for 26oz. tubs and $1.49 for 5.3oz. cups.

According to General Mills, YQ by Yoplait yogurts are free from gluten, hardly have any lactose and are prepared without using any artificial flavors, preservatives or colors.

YQ by Yoplait Plain boasts of having a mere 1 gram of sugar per serving and in contrast has 17 grams of protein in a 5.3oz. serving.

General Mills claims that the seven other YQ by Yoplait flavors contain 9 grams of sugar, which is still 40% lesser than the sugar content packed in the leading Greek low-fat yogurt. The flavored YQ by Yoplait get their light sweet taste from the addition of suitable quantity of cane sugar, real fruit and natural flavors, said the American food company.

Commenting on the YQ by Yoplait launch, Doug Martin – vice president of marketing for Yoplait USA, said: “We talked to thousands of people to really understand what they were missing from the yogurt aisle. We heard loud and clear the need for a smart snack option – something made with simple ingredients, less sugar and higher protein.

“What we’ve been able to accomplish with YQ by Yoplait delivers on this desire. Through our use of simple ingredients, ultra-filtered milk and active cultures, we’ve created a protein-packed, less sweet flavor profile with a thick, smooth, extra creamy texture. It’s unlike anything that exists in the yogurt aisle today.”

General Mills says that through the ultra-filtering process of milk, most of the lactose content in the milk is filtered to concentrate the quantity of protein needed. Although Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar, it offers absolutely zero sweetness, said the US food giant.

After the ultra-filtration, the milk is combined with active cultures before it is processed in to a differential nutritional profile that does not give the consumer the tart tang or chalky aftertaste of Greek-style yogurts.

YQ by Yoplait Plain launch by General Mills follows last year’s roll out of the Oui by Yoplait French style yogurt made with simple ingredients, which was then an entirely new segment in the US yogurt category.

  Doug Martin, Food processing news, General Mills, USA, Yogurt, YQ by Yoplait