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Families across the country instantly fell for the brand’s deliciously healthy dairy products and classic French traditions. Today, Yoplait is as committed as ever to making great-tasting yogurts filled to the brim with goodness.
Yoplait ( / ˈjoʊpleɪ / YOH-play, French: [jɔplɛ]) is the world’s largest franchise brand of yogurt. It is jointly owned by United States –based food conglomerate General Mills and French dairy cooperative Sodiaal.
Yoplait ( /ˈjoʊpleɪ/ YOH-play, French: [jɔplɛ]) is the largest franchise brand of yogurt, jointly owned by United States –based food conglomerate General Mills and French dairy cooperative Sodiaal.
During the 2000s and 2010s, Yoplait steadily lost market share in the United States to Greek yogurt brands, especially Chobani. General Mills’ attempts to market Greek yogurt versions of Yoplait repeatedly failed.
Where is Yoplait made?
General Mills has been the exclusive franchisee of the Yoplait brand in the United States ever since. General Mills opened a plant in Carson, California to manufacture Yoplait for the West Coast, where it became the best-selling yogurt brand. In 1981, General Mills began selling Yoplait on the East Coast.
The Yoplait brand first entered the United States in 1974 when it was licensed by the Michigan Cottage Cheese Company. In 1977, General Mills acquired the U.S. marketing rights to Yoplait from that company, along with a yogurt plant in Reed City, Michigan.
Tubed yogurts are called Frubes ( portmanteau of fruit and tube) in the UK, half under the Petits Filous branding and half under the Wildlife Choobs branding. Petits Filous yogurt pots, Wildlife yogurt pots, Cal-in+ pot yogurts and yogurt drinks and Yop drinking yogurt are also sold in the UK.
In Canada, General Mills markets pre-stirred Yoplait yogurt, Minigo, Tubes, Source, Creamy, Delicieux, Yop, Yoplait Basket, Yoptimal, and Asana. In 1971, the Coopérative agricole de Granby, which went on to become the largest dairy cooperative in the country— Agropur —launched the Yoplait brand in Canada. In 1993, Agropur and Agrifoods (the two largest dairy cooperatives in Canada) combined their yogurt and fresh cheese marketing and manufacturing activities to form Ultima Foods. Ultima Foods oversaw Yoplait brand products throughout Canada until 2012, when General Mills took over the licence (Ultima Foods continues to manufacture Yoplait products in Canada as a subcontractor, but has also launched a wholly owned rival product line, iögo ).
Since at least 1998, Yoplait has been the target of a campaign by animal advocates, including the Humane Society, to redesign its traditional tapered cup design because small animals can easily get their heads stuck inside and then suffocate or die from dehydration.
In the U.S., Yoplait participates in an annual program called “Save Lids to Save Lives” to raise money for breast cancer research. Yoplait donates ten cents per pink foil lid that is mailed to the company, but they state in fine print on all promotional materials that their donations will be capped at $2,000,000 per year. This money is donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Yoplait has been the primary sponsor of Race for the Cure, a marathon held to raise additional research money, since 2001.
The American franchise of Yoplait added a rim on the bottom of the yogurt containers to keep animals such as skunks from accidentally getting their heads caught.
When was Yoplait invented?
The Yoplait story started in 1965, when a group of 10,000 farmers from six dairy co-ops came together to create something special. With a shared love of yogurt and a fresh vision for the future, the two leading co-ops—Yola and Coplait—joined cows and forces, and the Yoplait brand was born, soon created the world’s first fruit yogurt.
Canada’s love affair with Yoplait began in 1971. Families across the country instantly fell for the brand’s deliciously healthy dairy products and classic French traditions. Today, Yoplait is as committed as ever to making great-tasting yogurts filled to the brim with goodness.
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