Silk Launches Its First Vegan Yogurt Line for Kids

This month, Silk launched a line of vegan yogurts crafted specifically for children at select retailers nationwide. The new Silk Kids Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative line is available in Strawberry, Apple Cinnamon, and Mixed Berry flavors and is fortified with vitamin D and calcium while featuring 25 percent less sugar per ounce than other yogurt alternatives. The vegan yogurts are sold in four-packs of 4-ounce single-serve cups for a suggested retail price of $4.99.

Vegan yogurt for a “new normal”
Danone North America—Silk’s parent company—unveiled the new line this week during its Little Bites, Big Impact virtual discussion panel wherein industry experts discussed the “new normal” created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, where children are eating at home more often and parents are responsible for their nutrition in new ways; home cooks are more interested in experimenting with plant-based foods; and having healthy, plant-based snacks on hand allows parents to manage their work-from-home schedules. 

“This is a crucial time for parents across the country, and Danone North America has convened an important conversation with industry experts to discuss the current challenges in children’s nutrition due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Lia Stierwalt, Senior Director of Marketing for Silk Plant-Based Yogurt Alternatives, said. “We are happy to announce the launch of Silk Kids Almondmilk Yogurt Alternative as part of the solution, expanding our company’s kid’s portfolio and platform with a delicious plant-based option that kids love, and parents can feel good about.” 

In addition to unveiling Silk’s new yogurts, Danone North America, in partnership with grocery chain Hannaford Supermarkets will donate $100,000 in Silk, Horizon Organic, and Danimals products to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to support families in need. 

Danone’s plant-based push
In 2016, Danone closed a $12.5 billion acquisition of WhiteWave Foods—parent company of vegan brands Silk, So Delicious, Vega, and Alpro. It has since innovated its product portfolio to include additional vegan lines such as Good Plants (part of its Light & Fit brand) and a coconut milk-based version of its popular Oikos yogurt. In May, Danone announced it is creating a Plant-Based Acceleration Unit (PBAU), a separate business aimed solely at increasing its global plant-based sales from $2.2 billion in 2019 to $5.4 billion by 2025. Through its newly formed PBAU, the multinational brand plans to expand into new categories such as coffee, baby foods, and healthy aging solutions, in addition to pivoting some of its larger brands into the plant-based sector.