The four-year-young company has created a range of dairy and soy-free fermented yogurts containing live probiotic cultures as well as prebiotic fibers for the growing number of health-conscious consumers who recognise yogurt as an immune-boosting source of probiotics but are also seeking plant-based dairy alternatives.
Steve Grun, CEO of Yofix, says this 'new generation' dairy alternative manages to match the nutritional values of its dairy peer.
"Unfortunately, Most of the yogurt alternatives on the market can’t meet dairy yogurt when it comes to taste, texture, and nutrition. Or, to be a good source of protein, calcium and fiber, they compromise organoleptic characteristics. Yofix offers a new-generation yogurt alternative hat hits all the marks for flavour, texture, nutrition, and eco-friendliness."
Nutritionally-rich
Yofix founder Ronen Lavee, an agricultural mechanical engineer with lactose intolerance, began developing probiotics after he returned to Israel after eight years in Asia, and could not find a dairy-free yogurt alternative with good flavour and texture.
He experimented with more than 100 fermented formulas based on natural ingredients until he found the 'Bio 5 formula' which uses no added sugars, preservatives, or colours, yet retains the texture and flavour of yogurt.
Lavee says that dairy-free yogurts available are often high in fat and use a single base ingredient such as soy or coconut plus they often lack key vitamins and minerals so fortification is required to match dairy yogurt’s nutritional value. He says Yofix’s 'Bio 5 formula' doesn't require fortification.
“I did not want to compromise on taste or nutrition in the product, nor compromise on the natural aspect. The ingredients used in our products are simply grains, seeds, fruit and live cultures," he explains.
"They have low amounts of calcium, iron, and fiber. Also, almond and coconut milk are not high in protein, a nutrient in high demand by yogurt consumers. But Yofix’s 'Bio 5 formula' contains all these nutrients naturally, without need for fortification."
Green and clean
Yofix was announced as winner of PepsiCo’s European Nutrition Greenhouse Programme 2018 last week.
As well as being a dairy free alternative which does not use large amounts of water, Yofix's low-carbon production process ensures zero waste as all raw materials used in production remain in the final product.
Grun says this is important as many health conscious consumers looking for dairy-free alternatives are also very environmentally conscious.
"Increasingly important to health-minded consumers is the health of the environment, driving them toward sustainable products that leave a minimum footprint."
Incubating innovation
Yofix Probiotics Ltd was the first company to join The Kitchen, the leading food-tech incubator and seed investor in Israel, and part of the Strauss Group Ltd., the main investor in Yofix.
The company launched the plant-based yogurt line in three flavours with Strauss Dairies in Israel last month.
Yofix will be launched globally and will be developing new plant-based dairy substitutes for milk, yogurt drinks, cream cheese, coffee creamers and ice cream.