The Japanese probiotic brand that launched 90 years ago, first brought its fermented Lactobacillus gut-health drink to Europe 30 years ago, and has now launched a soy-based drink product, Vitals.
Vitals, which is enriched with vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and zinc, is designed to support the immune system and digestion. It is available in Strawberry or Mango and Passionfruit.
Dr. Kate Synnott, corporate communications manager at Yakult Europe, said Vitals is part of a plan to grow Yakult’s product range, and while new products will still focus on gut health, they are designed to appeal to new groups of consumers.
“Gut health is still at the core of what Yakult aims to deliver as a brand,” she told NutraIngredients. “But consumer awareness and scientific research about gut health and its impact on other aspects of overall health are expanding beyond digestive health and immunity.”
The product is currently only available in the Netherlands but is planned for a European roll-out.
Targeting wellness, dairy-free demand and younger consumers
Since establishing European production in 1994 and launching in the UK in 1996, Yakult has largely relied on a single core product strategy, building the category around its original probiotic drink.
The Yakult Light (2002) launch was a major early extension, followed by gradual functional updates through the ‘Plus’ range in the 2010s. This changed in 2024 with the launch of Yakult Plus Peach, the brand’s first significant flavour innovation in Europe in over 20 years.
Now, the new fruit-based health drink is offered as a 200 ml carton rather than the classic 65 ml bottle, and is built around vitamins and minerals rather than live probiotic bacteria.
The product looks to support broad wellness benefits, with vitamin D offering immune system support, calcium for digestive function, magnesium to support energy levels and zinc for cognitive function.
“The aim of Yakult Vitals is to offer consumers a non-dairy alternative drink as a new addition to the Yakult Europe portfolio and in line with the Yakult Europe longer-term strategy,” Dr. Synnott said.
“Yakult Vitals also offers a taste and texture different from the existing range of Yakult products. We target a younger, modern group of consumers who are interested in actively doing something for their health in an easy way.”
Europe dairy alternatives market to hit rapid growth
The Europe dairy alternatives market reached an estimated value of $5.52 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4% from 2024 to 2030, according to data from Grand View Research.
And as consumers actively choose dairy alternatives, manufacturers like Yakult are developing new products to meet evolving consumer preferences, Dr. Synnott explained.
“Yakult Vitals is part of a broader global initiative of Yakult to become more active in the dairy-free segment,” she said. “This segment has been identified as an important area of growth, but drivers are different in Europe than in Japan, where plant-based and soy consumption is much more common.”
She noted that dairy-free is likely to become a larger part of Yakult’s innovation pipeline globally. However, how the company achieves this will look different across markets.
“Drivers are different per market, and Yakult Vitals has been developed in line with the needs of European consumers,” she said. “There is no equivalent of Yakult Vitals in Japan.”
