Danone recently announced the launch of its latest innovation, Remix – a mix-in yogurt line designed to satisfy snack cravings. In this exclusive interview with FoodBev Media, president of yogurt at Danone North America, Rafael Acevedo, discusses the inspiration behind Danone’s latest venture into the dairy sector. 

What were the driving factors behind the conceptualisation and development of the Remix yogurt line?

As a leading yogurt manufacturer and global food company with a mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible, Danone is focused on listening to consumers and meeting their demands. We understand that consumers are snacking more than ever and, in fact, looking for options with more nutritional value (for example, 45% of consumers are looking for protein in better-for-you snacks).

Yogurt is such a versatile food with many benefits, and we felt there was real potential to innovate and create something special, specifically in the mix in-category, with knockout taste and stand-out nutrition that could make snacking feel anything but routine for consumers.

We are taking three of our brands in the portfolio to enter the mix-in segment using a sub-brand called Remix. The objective is to deliver a snacking and mix-in experience, unlike anything currently on the market.

Within the Remix line, Oikos, Light + Fit and Too Good & Co (formerly Two Good) are bringing consumers snacking options for every occasion – whether it’s an Oikos Remix for high protein post-workout, a Too Good & Co Remix for a lower sugar delicious snack mid-day or satisfying a late-night dessert craving with a Light + Fit Remix at night.

Could you outline the range of flavour options presented by the Remix yogurt line?

We are rolling out Remix across three of our brands – Oikos, Light & Fit and Too Good & Co. Each will offer distinct benefits and flavours catered to their respective brands.

For example, Oikos is known for delivering high-quality protein, Light & Fit is known for a fierce array of flavours that are lower in calories and Too Good & Co was launched and remains committed to providing amazing tasting and lower sugar cups and smoothies. The Remix line extends the incredible benefits of these brands into the mix-in category to disrupt the yogurt aisle.

Oikos Remix contains 11g of complete protein in every 4.5oz cup. Currently, there are three flavours: Coco Almond Chocolate (featuring coconut non-fat yogurt + honey praline almonds and dark chocolate mix-ins); S’mores (featuring vanilla non-fat yogurt + graham cookies, dark chocolate, and toasted marshmallow bark mix-ins); Salted Caramel (featuring salted caramel non-fat yogurt + sea salt praline pretzels, dark chocolate and butter toffee mix-ins).

Light + Fit Remix hopes to create crave-worthy, full-on flavour in 120 calories or less. Flavours include Strawberry Cheesecake (featuring strawberry cheesecake fat-free yogurt + graham cookies, caramel pearls and dark chocolate mix-ins); Key Lime (featuring key lime fat-free yogurt + graham cookies and white fudge chunk mix-ins); Brownie Sundae (featuring vanilla fat-free yogurt + brownie crumble, honey praline almonds and butter toffee mix-ins).

Too Good & Co Remix only has 6g of sugar in every 4.5oz cup. Flavours include Strawberry Dark Chocolate Almond (featuring a strawberry base + chia granola, roasted almonds and chocolate mix-ins); Banana Dark Chocolate Honey (featuring a banana base + roasted almonds and chocolate blend and honey-flavoured crisps mix-ins); Blueberry Almond Oat Crisp (featuring a blueberry base + honey praline roasted almonds and cinnamon oat crisp mix-ins).

What unique features distinguish the Remix yogurt line from other products in the yogurt market? Additionally, how does Danone differentiate itself amidst the competitive dairy industry?

Current mix-ins include many indulgent options, but Remix appeals to health-conscious consumers who are looking for great-tasting mix-ins. Each Remix product delivers on specific consumer demand segments, providing great taste and game-changing nutrition.

For example, we know that many consumers are looking for lower-sugar snacks, and Too Good & Co. Remix has 6g per 4.5oz (70% less sugar (6g per 4.5oz) than average yogurt and mix-ins (20g 4.5oz). Oikos Remix has the protein and bold taste many consumers are craving with 11g of complete protein in every 4.5 oz cup (making it an excellent source of protein).

By launching mix-in products that have lower sugar, high protein or lower calories, we believe we are attracting consumers to the mix-in category and expanding the usage occasions of our brands. Yogurt has predominantly been associated with breakfast in the US, but the addition of mix-ins that you can feel good about which also have drool-worthy topping combinations will position this line as a versatile snack for many.

In addition to what is inside the cup, the cup itself is differentiated. The Remix collection’s design features a patent-pending transparent sidecar cup, a hinge-like design for an easier mix-in experience, an ergonomic shape to fit perfectly into your palm, and is fully recyclable.

Can you detail the nutritional advantages that consumers can anticipate from consuming Remix yogurt products?

Our new Remix products deliver a (portable) snacking experience, unlike anything currently on the market, offering delicious taste and stand-out nutrition for the mix-in category. Our line across Oikos, Light + Fit and Too Good & Co carry distinct brand-specific benefits, including protein-packed, low-calorie and low-sugar options (respectively).

We understand that snacking is increasing and people are very busy, so we set out to provide options that work for them on all fronts – for their tastebuds, their nutrition goals and their schedules. Oikos, Light & Fit and Too Good & Co Remix shake up the mix-in space with options that not only have compelling nutritional profiles but that taste insanely good, too.

Oikos Remix has 11g of complete protein in every 4.5oz cup (making it an excellent source of protein), so consumers can ‘snack strong’ with every spoonful. Too Good & Co. Remix is a little treat that goes easy on the sweet. It has 6g of sugar in every 4.5oz cup. Light + Fit Remix packs full-on flavour into 120 calories (or less) for a snack you can feel good about having on repeat.

Could you discuss the innovative ingredients or formulations used in Remix products to enhance both flavor and nutritional value?

When it comes to Remix, we asked ourselves: how do you take the brands our consumers already love and innovate to provide options that tie to an emerging occasion (snacking)?

The Remix platform includes Oikos, Light + Fit and Too Good & Co because we set out to deliver a mix-in experience within the existing benefit spaces that each of these brands is known for (high-protein, lower sugar and lower calorie options).

We did learn a lot from consumers throughout the development process. Through a series of focus groups, we tested more than 100 ingredients and over 50 different topping combinations to design delicious Remix offerings. This also included consumer feedback sessions when it came to the size, shape, texture, appearance and crunch of all ingredients.

Additionally, consumers were very positive about certain toppings and combinations. For example, in our workshops, consumers really loved the caramel pearls in the Light + Fit Remix Strawberry Cheesecake option, which helped us finalise this combination and unique flavour topping.

With the growing emphasis on clean labelling and transparency in food products, how does Danone ensure that the ingredients used in Remix align with consumer expectations for authenticity?

Every component of Remix is intentional, from ingredients to packaging, and created with the consumer in mind. During consumer workshops, we learned consumers are looking for more clarity into the cup to understand what topping ingredients looked like and how much topping was included in the package. Our cup design features a transparency sidecar so that in every Remix the quality and quantity of topping ingredients are not hidden.

Given the growing trend towards plant-based alternatives, does Danone have any plans to incorporate non-dairy options within the Remix line-up?

We are evaluating which brands within the Danone yogurt portfolio may be best suited to join the existing Remix collection in the future. We’ll share more once we get closer.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

As a whole, we think the yogurt category is ripe for disruption. There is a lot of untapped potential as consumers rethink how they shop and consume yogurt. We are continuing to prioritise growth into new occasions for yogurt with nutrition and taste in mind.

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