Dive Brief:
- Good Culture has launched a new product line, Probiotic Milks, made with the agriculture collective Dairy Farmers of America (DFA).
- In a statement, the company said its “disruptive and new take on milk,” which is available in 2{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} and whole varieties, contains 1 billion probiotic cultures per 12-ounce serving.
- The launch furthers Good Culture’s aim to grow its portfolio offerings and capitalize on the continuing trends of wellness and gut health, with the help of a leading dairy group.
Dive Insight:
Good Culture is taking probiotics into a new category with the backing of a leading player in the milk space.
The better-for-you cottage cheese and sour cream maker — which has received $81.8 million to date from investors like General Mills and actress Kristen Bell, according to Crunchbase data — last year raised $64 million in a Series C funding round. The company said the funding would go toward launching new products in the cultured foods space.
With this expansion, Good Culture has the opportunity to broaden its reach to a new consumer base.
“With the continued growth and consumer interest in probiotics and gut health, we’re really excited to bring this great-tasting milk with probiotics to store shelves in partnership with the Good Culture brand, which is so well known for producing on-trend, cultured dairy products,” Rachel Kyllo, senior vice president of marketing for DFA, said in a statement.
The decision to work with the DFA gives Good Culture a partner that is highly familiar with the milk space. The dairy giant has a variety of milk brands in its portfolio, including Dean’s, Lehigh Valley Dairy, Dairy Maid Dairy and Kemps.
Once commonly associated with yogurt, probiotics continue to infiltrate new food categories such as snacks and beverages as consumer interest in immunity rises. Nearly half of people consume probiotics in some form each day, with dairy being their preferred way to obtain them, according to a 2022 survey of 16,000 consumers by Chr. Hansen.
Other better-for-you brands have seized on the gut health dairy craze. Danone’s dairy brand Horizon Organic has a milk and yogurt line called Growing Years that contains prebiotics. Kefir, a fermented milk product popularized by brands such as Lifeway, is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.4{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} through 2027, according to a Mordor Intelligence analysis.
But expanding into milk could prove to be challenging. Last year, yogurt giant Chobani debuted lactose-free Ultra-Filtered Milk — featuring 2.5 times more protein than traditional milk — that it discontinued after fewer than three months on the market.
