Point of difference
EasiYo packing facility.
Fierce competition in the yoghurt industry, increased milk powder prices and currency devaluation are just some of the challenges EasiYo has faced. To retain a leading position in the market place, it relies on its point of difference – nutritional health. Increased consumer awareness of healthy food has led to the new functional foods market, with EasiYo well placed to take advantage of this demand. EasiYo has enhanced what is already a healthy food – yoghurt contains protein, calcium, riboflavin and Vitamins B6 and B12 – through adding bacteria with specific health benefits.
Functional foods
Yoghurt is simply milk to which bacteria (a yoghurt culture) has been added. A yoghurt culture usually includes two or more different bacteria, most commonly Streptococcus salivarius and thermophilus, and Lactobacillus genus members such as acidophilus, bulgaricus, casei and bifidus. Milk is heated to approximately 80c to kill any unwanted bacteria then cooled to about 45c before the culture is added, with that temperature maintained for 4-7 hours. The culture is responsible for coagulating the milk – it causes the lactose in the milk to ferment and produce lactic acid which, in turn, acts on the protein in the milk to give the texture and taste to yoghurt. The bacteria also manufacture large amounts of B vitamins which, together with the lactic acid, are useful against 'unfriendly' bacteria (harmful bacteria can't develop in the acidic environment). All EasiYo yoghurts contain Lactobacilus bulgaricus and acidophilus and Streptococccus thrermophilus, while some also contain the Bifidobacteria strain.
The bacteria in yoghurt only live for days, so to get the full health benefits of eating yoghurt it must be freshly made. EasiYo promotes the advantage of its system – because the yoghurt is freshly made at home, rather than made in a factory, transported to a store and then taken home, the bacteria are all live at the time of making.
EasiYo yoghurt mixes are freeze-dried with the bacteria still live, and they retain their effectiveness for the recommended shelf life of 18 months. Yoghurt manufacturers are legally required to ensure their product contains millions of live bacteria at the time of manufacture. EasiYo yoghurt contains billions, with the number of live bacteria highest on the day the yoghurt is made by the consumer. After two weeks, there will be millions still left in every spoonful. However, because the yoghurt culture is a living organism, the number will fluctuate depending on factors such as outside temperature and water temperature.
The Biolife range of yoghurts contains additional probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures which are beneficial for digestive health. [Probiotic refers to live microorganisms which, when eaten in large enough amounts, promote good health.] In-house testing found that the Biolife products contained significantly more (two to four times more) probiotic bacteria than ready-made brands of yoghurt, and this was verified by independent research company Asure Quality.
The culture used in the yoghurt is purchased from a specialist culture house in Singapore, one of just a few such companies in the world, and is made as a unique blend for EasiYo. During production, the EasiYo quality control programme includes having a sample of every product batch quality-tested in a laboratory for colour, taste and consistency.
EasiYo packing facility.
To cater to a health-conscious market wanting 'natural' products, and to differentiate itself from competitors, EasiYo highlights its use of 'natural' ingredients. The yoghurt bases don't include any stablisers or gelatin which means they can be promoted as gluten-free and vegetarian. The fruit squirt toppings have maize starch as a suspending agent so that they are gluten-free as well. While emulsifiers are needed for the ice cream mix, EasiYo only uses the approved emulsifiers which are often used in commercial ice cream manufacture. There are no preservatives in the yoghurt mixes. The company also specifies that no genetically-modified ingredients are used in its products. In addition to emphasising the gluten-free status of its products, EasiYo also certifies that they are suitable for vegetarians and customers wanting kosher or halal food.
EasiYo currently uses natural or 'nature identical' flavours. Nature identical flavours are derived from a natural vegetable/fruit source but not necessarily from the named flavour. However, in order to further improve their products, EasiYo is moving in coming months to use all-natural flavours.
A new health-related market opened in 2010, when EasiYo was approached by the UK Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The college wanted to promote increased calcium consumption in pregnant women and, after researching brands of yoghurt on the market, chose EasiYo as its supplier for a control group of 500,000 pregnant women.
In recent years, consumers have become more aware of health issues around the use of plastic for containing food products. As the EasiYo yoghurt-making system is based on plastic components, the company reassures its customers that the plastic used is manufactured from UK/USA approved polypropylene, has a very high softening point (well above boiling) and is approved by every country where their products are sold. The yoghurt maker and jar continue to be made in New Zealand to ensure local supply and excellent quality.