Yoghurt has emerged as France’s favourite fresh dairy product. A survey by dairy trade group Syndifrais highlights that 73% of the population have a preference for it.
The French consume 170 pots of yoghurt annually, the equivalent of 21 kilos per person. This works out at more than 1m tonnes of yoghurt each year of which 82% is sold in supermarket outlets.
While all age groups are well-represented as consumers of yoghurts, the product is most popular with 15- to 20-year-olds and 55- to 60-year-olds, the survey adds. Low in fat, yoghurt is also the prime choice of the figure-conscious
French sales of yoghurt have increased by 20% in the last ten years and rose by 2.5% in 2004.
Recent years have brought spectacular growth in the consumption of yoghurt drinks, which leapt by 23% in 2004. Meanwhile, the consumption of “probiotic” yoghurts, perceived as health-enhanching food, was up by 25%.
