Fine Cheese & Charcuterie November/December 2017

At the recent Natural Products Show I attended, I took note of all of the foods that were touting their positive probiotic benefits on their packaging and in their marketing slogans.  I am not surprised given the current trends that all seem to point back to the healthy lifestyle habits of today’s consumer.  The younger generations in particular seem to be very aware of what they eat, how the food is made, and pay attention to the fat they consume.

The popularity of yogurt is riding this trend, with the current research predicting double-digit growth for the next four years.  Yogurt in a frozen form certainly seems popular too.  Have you noticed all of the frozen yogurt franchises competing for dessert dollars?  Frozen yogurt is low in fat, and has reduced sugar content, making it a healthier option for an after dinner treat than desserts like ice cream.

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, thankfully, so I usually view dessert as a take it or leave it proposition.  I do have a fondness for the occasional ice cream, and the higher the fat content the more I enjoy it.  If my desire for a frozen treat gets strong enough, but I know I need to lay off the fat, I will usually turn to frozen yogurt as a healthier alternative.

Within this context, I was completely surprised to find that when I stopped into a large local supermarket chain recently, seeking a pint of frozen yogurt, that there wasn’t any on offer.  I searched the entire frozen food department, thinking it just couldn’t be so.  Alas, not one pint of frozen yogurt was being offered for sale.  I even checked the shelf tags to see if perhaps they were temporarily out of stock.  Is it possible that in certain locations that frozen yogurt doesn’t sell?  Or is this supermarket missing the boat?  I have been amazed at the depth of selection available in most categories in the supermarket today versus what we had ten years ago.  I am surprised that frozen yogurt wouldn’t be better represented in this assortment.

I am not armed with sales reports, so there may be a very good reason that frozen yogurt isn’t being offered.  If you do have sales data, and can shed some light on this, please drop me a mail.  Otherwise, I hope this serves as a reminder to check your frozen dessert selection.