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Consumers going off probiotic cheese
By Shane Starling, 17-Feb-2009

Probiotics have had a rapid rise to public prominence in North America since Danone launched probiotic drinkable and spoonable yogurts on the US market in 2005, but probiotic cheeses have won little favor, according to Euromonitor research.

Despite a spate of launches in 2007, Euromonitor found that fortified and functional cheeses accounted for less than one per cent of the $100bn global cheese market, with probiotic versions faring very poorly.

“Sadly, consumer response to these exciting launches has been lukewarm at best, and none have yet achieved mass-market success,” said Euromonitor analyst Ewa Hudson. “The main reason for probiotic cheese’s failure to take off is that, unlike yoghurt, it is not really regarded as a healthy food.”

She added: “It will never match the success of probiotic yoghurt, which is rapidly becoming somewhat of a new industry standard.”