Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s has introduced four new flavours of frozen yogurt to the Israeli market, all of them based on Greek yogurt. Typically, Ben & Jerry’s introduces two new flavours a year, but this year opted to test the market interest in the Greek yogurt flavours.
The company produces seven flavours of Greek frozen yogurt in the US, where Greek yogurt in general has recently risen in popularity due to its mild flavour and its perception as a healthy food choice. Greek yogurt is not readily available in Israel, though, and as such the company has to produce its own at its factory in Beer Tuvia.
The new flavours are priced like the traditional ice cream tubs, but are slightly smaller. “We will introduce 500 ml tubs when we start making them in Israel, but first we want to see how the products are received here,” Avi Zinger, CEO of American Quality Products, which manufactures and markets Ben & Jerry’s products in Israel, told Ynet.
Another difference between the two lines is in their nutritional values; the Greek frozen yogurt edges out the ice cream as the moderately healthier option. It is lower in fat and calories while higher in protein than its cream-based counterpart.
Fourteen flavours of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream are currently available for sale in Israel, and the company claims 12-17% of the Israeli ice cream market share. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream manufactured in Israel is also exported to the US army, and at one point was exported to Singapore and Europe, as well. According to Zinger, the company would like to return to exporting soon.
So what is the purpose of the new line? “Our goal is to expand the audiences consuming Ben & Jerry’s to consumers with healthy eating habits who also wish to spoil themselves,” says Zinger.
“In the US, the company managed to reach new audiences which did not consume its products. Some 47-48% of the consumers of Greek Frozen Yogurt in the US don’t even buy premium ice cream and didn’t buy Ben & Jerry’s ice creams before.”