FDBusiness.com

Five of the leading yogurt companies on the UK market – Danone, Emmi, Lactalis Nestlé, Müller and Yoplait – have launched the Yogurt Council, the first ever UK industry body dedicated to promoting yogurt.

The Yogurt Council will be led by its newly appointed director, Jo Sweetman, a Registered Nutritionist. The organisation will work to raise awareness about yogurt being a delicious and nutritious food and an important part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Its aim will be to provide credible information and advice about yogurt, leading to improved growth of the category. The Yogurt Council will be based at offices in Clerkenwell,London.

“The industry recognised there has been no collective voice for yogurt’s benefits and the initial five members of the Yogurt Council very much hope membership will grow to represent other business over time,” says Richard Hall, chairman of the Yogurt Council.

The Yogurt Council has established a new website, loveyogurt.org, and a Twitter feed, @YogurtCouncil. The website will act as a central hub of information on yogurt and will include information about the heritage of yogurt and its nutritional profile, and the latest relevant academic research and factsheets on yogurt.

The Yogurt Council plans to host a series of events for consumers and stakeholders as part of its awareness raising campaign. The organisation will also form an Expert Group, which will advise on all nutrition information provided to consumers. It will support the creation of factsheets and these will be published on loveyogurt.org. The Expert Group will also keep abreast of academic research and trends.