Growing Yogurt Production Capacity

As the popularity and demand for yogurt has fluctuated in the United States and around the world, so has U.S. production. In 2016, U.S. yogurt production was 2.02 million metric tons.

Growing Yogurt Export Volume

The U.S. has grown yogurt exports to 14,667 metric tons in 2016.  Known for high-quality milk and the ability to expand milk production to meet an increasing global demand for dairy products, the United States has additional yogurt capacity should export markets require it.

On-Trend Innovation

With the growing trend for more protein in the diet, the U.S. dairy industry answered consumer demand for a healthy and filling snack. Greek-style yogurt was first introduced into the U.S. market in 1998 but it didn't catch on with consumers until Chobani launched in 2005.   It now represents 37.5% of total yogurt sales in the United States¹.

Additional rapid innovation exists in flavor variations, variegates and inclusions, drinkable yogurt products and new packaging concepts.

High Quality Standards

The United States has a long and enviable history of manufacturing safe yogurt and dairy products. This is a responsibility U.S. dairy farmers and dairy processors, as well as processing equipment manufacturers and ingredient suppliers working together with state and federal regulatory agencies have taken very seriously. The U.S. dairy industry is a highly-regulated industry with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensuring that U.S. yogurt meets some of the highest sanitation and quality standards in the world.

Continually increasing yogurt production capacity and a robust innovation pipeline well-position the U.S. to help supply the growing global demand for high-quality yogurt.