Food Union expands range of Lakto line with 7 lactose-free yoghurts; investments in development reach EUR 90,000

As lactose-free dairy products are becoming a more popular trend in healthy eating, Latvia’s leading dairy processing company Food Union has invested EUR 90,000 in expanding the category of lactose-free yoghurts. As a result, the range of fermented dairy products brand Lakto now has additional 7 functional novelties, based on the valuable L.acidophilus LA and Bifidobacterium BB lactic acid bacteria and high-quality lactose-free milk. Also, a brand new Lakto ProBio line has been created with two products without lactose and without added sugar.

Two Lakto ProBio – without lactose and without added sugar

Since 2018, Food Union has been purposefully reducing the amount of added sugar in Lakto products, but in 2023 the company developed the first lactose-free yoghurt Lakto Imuno. Now, thanks to the innovative approach of the food technologists of the Center of Excellence for Fresh Dairy Products, the company has created a brand new Lakto category – ProBio without added sugar and without lactose. Lakto ProBio will be offered to consumers in two flavor combinations – blueberry, banana, linseed and oatmeal yoghurt as well as strawberry and mango yoghurt. It is important that the soft sweetness of Lakto ProBio is ensured only by the natural ingredients of fruit, berries and grain products. These yoghurts are available in a drinkable form and are packed in fully recycable, sustainable PET bottles (270 g).

Three edible Lakto yoghurts with a spoon and two drinkable yoghurts without lactose

Three improved fermented dairy products have been introduced also in the assortment of Lakto yoghurts edible with a spoon. Namely, the whole cup-form Lakto category is now lactose-free. Consumers are offered two already popular Lakto flavors in a cup – the natural without added flavors and raspberry, as well as the new wild strawberry favor. All these products are made using a unique thermostatic method, where the yoghurt is fermented directly in the cup.

Along with two other new lactose-free yoghurts, the range of drinkable and made-to-go Lakto yoghurts has been created. Now, consumers are also offered natural Lakto without added flavors and Lakto with wild strawberry flavor in medium-size PET bottles (270 g). All drinkable Lakto yoghurts that are packaged in the sustainable PET bottles, are produced the main Food Union plant – Rīgas piena kombināts.

Nutrition specialists recommend

Along with lactose-free Lakto category expansion, Food Union has resumed cooperation the Latvian Association of Diet and Nutrition Specialists (LDUSA), whose goal is to provide Latvian residents with broad information about the role of nutrition in disease prevention and treatment, as well as to improve expertise of the nutrition specialists. LDUSA specialists have evaluated the new products and have concluded that ingredients and production technology of both Lakto ProBio and both natural Lakto yoghurts meet the basic principles of healthy nutrition. Thus, these four lactose-free yoghurts have become the first food products in Latvia to receive the LDUSA quality label “Nutrition specialists recommend”.

Guna Bīlande, board chairperson of LDUSA: “Lakto is a well known and popular brand that has won the positive assessment of the Latvian Association of Diet and Nutrition Specialists also earlier. It is positive that Lakto products follow the trends and now new products have been developed without added sugar and lactose which we as nutrition specialists highly appreciate because it demonstrates that the producer cares not only for the product’s flavors, but also the fact that they are healthy. Therefore, it is our joy that Lakto is the first food brand to receive the renewed LDUSA quality label “Nutrition specialists recommend”.

Ieva Lejniece, head of Food Union marketing and new product development departments: “Creation of seven new lactose-free Lakto yoghurts is a significant step not only for our company, but the whole Latvian dairy and food sector because in this way we demonstrate that our technologists are able to innovate world-level healthy nutrition products. It is worth mentioning that the original Lakto formula which was created by Latvian scientists in 1994, has not been changed for 30 years – it is a high-quality milk in combination with the valuable bacteria. This year our Lakto formula has become even better and more appropriate for different healthy diets because the new products do not contain lactose. If you wish to include lighter and healthier products in your everyday life, I recommend our new lactose-free Lakto yoghurts because it is the best choice for breakfast or healthy snacks in everyday nutrition.”

Availability of new Lakto products in stores and the overall assortment

The seven new lactose-free Lakto products are already available in the most popular stores across Latvia. In total, there are already 20 products, including 11 lactose-free products in the Lakto fermented dairy product assortment, 4 with added grain products and 5 in the traditional form of large bottles. As all Lakto products contain live lactic acid bacteria, these yoghurts have a short shelf life – depending on the type, it can be 12 to 27 days, therefore these products are available only in Latvia.

More information about Lakto: www.lakto.lv