New consumer research, conducted by market research company, Ipsos MORI, has allowed DuPont Nutrition & Health to identify the essential market drivers to produce successful long shelf life drinking yogurts for the rapidly growing dairy market in Saudi Arabia.

1. April 2017 / Vol. XXXIII Issue 4
www.mefmag.com
The Multihead Weighing Technology:
Mixes it Up for Profit

2. 44 SAUDI ARABIA
COUNTRY/REGIONAL REPORTS
Middle East Food (MEF) April 2017 / Vol. XXXIII Issue 4
ew consumer research, conducted by market research company, Ipsos MORI, has allowed DuPont Nutrition & Health
to identify the essential market drivers to produce successful long shelf life drinking yogurts for the rapidly growing dairy
market in Saudi Arabia. Fresh yogurt-based beverages, such as “Laban”, have a long tradition in the Gulf Cooperation
Council region, including Saudi Arabia. In this region, drinking yogurt is an experience that is common to children and adults alike
and is enjoyed throughout the day, fulfilling many different needs. Most commonly, drinking yogurt is consumed as a cooling,
hydrating beverage and consumers are very familiar with this style of product. Traditionally, these products have been homemade
with a very short shelf life. However, new consumer research in Saudi Arabia has shown that consumers are welcoming a more
convenient, healthy product experience from drinking yogurt.
“For the consumer, it is now possible to
consume your yogurt drink out of the
home without it becoming acidic”
N
Identifying Important Market Drivers
for Long Shelf Life Drinking Yogurt Success
Consumer research
Hot climates present unique challenges
for food production, distribution,
and storage. The development of
shelf stable, long shelf life drinking
yogurts deliver several advantages
over chilled products with benefit
for the manufacturer, distributor and
consumer. For the dairy producer,
long shelf life yogurt enables
larger production batches,
storage, and transportation over
long distances without a costly
cold chain distribution system
- all delivering significant cost
savings. For the consumer, it is now
possible to consume your yogurt drink
out of the home without it becoming
acidic; convenient on-the-go, suitable
for picnics and your children’s lunch
pack, the possibilities are endless.
The research used focus groups to
understand what factors influence
consumers to purchase and consume
drinking yogurt products and to discuss
the benefits, taste and functionalities,
they prefer. Focus group methods
were qualitative and consumers were
presented with a number of long
shelf life yogurt prototypes to taste
and evaluate. These prototypes were
developed using DuPont™
Danisco®
cultures and stabilizers with the aim
of getting as close to fresh Laban and
Lassi as possible, in terms of taste and
texture. However, due to its properties,
they were in fact shelf stable when
being kept at ambient temperature for a
longer time. Recruitment criteria for the
focus groups was carefully considered
for the market and was based on
married females with at least one child.
The females were aged between 20 -
49 years and all focus group members
were purchasers and consumers of
packaged dairy products. Participants
from Jeddah and Tabuk discussed their
buying, purchasing and eating
habits as well as their preferences
for drinking yogurt.
New concepts and prototypes
Consumers were first presented
with the prototypes without being
informed that they were stable at
ambient temperature. Assuming they
were presented with fresh laban and
lassi type products, consumers were
asked to assess the taste, texture and
flavor. Following this first assessment,
the focus groups were then informed
that the products were shelf stable at
ambient temperature and were asked to
provide their feedback on the benefits,
this would present to them, such as
the ability to consume a drinking yogurt
after transportation in high temperature
without wheying off.
Market research outcomes
Some of the questions that have been
answered by the consumer research
include:
•What are the current unmet consumer
needs in terms of fresh dairy products?
•What preferences Saudi consumers
have for drinking yogurt?
•What are the current consumer habits
when it comes to drinking yogurt?
•What are the perceived benefits of long
life drinking yogurts?
•How do Saudi consumers respond toYoghurt drink

3. ‫واملناطق‬ ‫البلدان‬ ‫تقارير‬ 45‫السعودية‬ ‫العربية‬ ‫اململكة‬
٤ ‫عدد‬ - ٣٣ ‫د‬ّ‫ل‬‫مج‬ / ٢٠١٧ )‫(أبريل‬ ‫نيسان‬ ‫األوسط‬ ‫الرشق‬ ‫مأكوالت‬
DuPont( ‫والصحة‬ ‫للتغذية‬ ‫دوبونت‬ ‫لشركة‬ )Ipsos MORI( ‫موري‬ ‫ايبسوس‬ ‫السوق‬ ‫أبحاث‬ ‫شركة‬ ‫أجرته‬ ‫المستهلك‬ ‫حول‬ ‫جديد‬ ‫بحث‬ ‫سمح‬
‫صالحية‬ ‫ة‬َّ‫د‬‫م‬ ‫ذات‬ ‫الزبادي‬ ‫اللبن‬ ‫مشروب‬ ‫إنتاج‬ ‫في‬ ‫النجاح‬ ‫لضمان‬ ‫للسوق‬ ‫المحركة‬ ‫األساسية‬ ‫العوامل‬ ‫على‬ ‫بالتعرف‬ ،)Nutrition & Health
‫اللبن‬ ‫على‬ ‫األساسي‬ ‫تكوينها‬ ‫في‬ ‫تحتوي‬ ‫التي‬ ‫الطازجة‬ ‫المشروبات‬ َّ‫إن‬ .‫السعودية‬ ‫العربية‬ ‫المملكة‬ ‫في‬ ‫بسرعة‬ ‫المتنامية‬ ‫األلبان‬ ‫لسوق‬ ،‫طويلة‬
‫اللبن‬ ‫شرب‬ ُّ‫ويعد‬ .‫السعودية‬ ‫العربية‬ ‫المملكة‬ ‫ذلك‬ ‫في‬ ‫بما‬ ،‫الخليجي‬ ‫التعاون‬ ‫مجلس‬ ‫دول‬ ‫في‬ ‫األمد‬ ‫طويل‬ ‫تقليد‬ ‫لديها‬ ،»‫«اللبن‬ ‫مثل‬ ،‫الزبادي‬
‫من‬ ‫بعدد‬ ‫يفي‬ ‫فهو‬ ،‫النهار‬ ‫خالل‬ ‫في‬ ‫بشربه‬ ‫االستمتاع‬ ‫ويمكن‬ ،‫سواء‬ ‫حد‬ ‫على‬ ‫والبالغين‬ ‫األطفال‬ ‫بين‬ ‫مشتركة‬ ‫تجربة‬ ‫المنطقة‬ ‫هذه‬ ‫في‬ ‫الزبادي‬
‫في‬ ‫المنتجات‬ ‫هذه‬ ‫صناعة‬ ‫بالعادة‬ ‫وتتم‬ .‫المستهلكين‬ ‫جميع‬ ‫يألفه‬ ‫ًا‬‫ب‬‫ومرط‬ ‫ًا‬‫د‬ِّ‫ر‬‫مب‬ ‫ًا‬‫ب‬‫مشرو‬ ‫باعتباره‬ ‫استهالكه‬ ‫يشيع‬ ‫كما‬ .‫المختلفة‬ ‫االحتياجات‬
‫بون‬ِّ‫يرح‬ ‫المستهلكين‬ َّ‫أن‬ ‫السعودية‬ ‫العربية‬ ‫المملكة‬ ‫في‬ ‫المستهلك‬ ‫حول‬ ‫جديد‬ ‫بحث‬ ‫أظهر‬ ،‫ذلك‬ ‫ومع‬ .‫ا‬ً‫د‬‫ج‬ ‫قصيرة‬ ‫صالحيتها‬ ‫ة‬َّ‫د‬‫م‬ ‫وتكون‬ ‫المنزل‬
،‫وتوزيعها‬ ،‫األغذية‬ ‫إلنتاج‬ ‫نوعها‬ ‫من‬ ‫فريدة‬ ‫يات‬ِّ‫د‬‫تح‬ ‫الحارة‬ ‫المناخات‬ ‫ِّب‬‫ب‬‫وتس‬ .‫والصحي‬ ‫االستخدام‬ ‫سهل‬ ‫الزبادي‬ ‫اللبن‬ ‫مشروب‬ ‫إنتاج‬ ‫بفكرة‬
‫بالفائدة‬ ‫وتعود‬ ،‫المبردة‬ ‫المنتجات‬ ‫تفوق‬ ‫المزايا‬ ‫من‬ ‫ًا‬‫د‬‫عد‬ ‫طويلة‬ ‫لفترات‬ ‫تخزينه‬ ‫يمكن‬ ‫الذي‬ ‫الزبادي‬ ‫اللبن‬ ‫مشروب‬ ‫تطوير‬ ‫ِّر‬‫ف‬‫يو‬ ‫لذا‬ .‫وتخزينها‬
.‫سواء‬ ٍّ‫د‬‫ح‬ ‫على‬ ‫والمستهلك‬ ‫والموزع‬ ‫المنتج‬ ‫هلى‬
“The market for dairy products in
Saudi Arabia is growing fast”
DuPont Nutrition & Health
Web: www.danisco.com
Source: Euromonitor retail value and volume 2015
Figure 1: Expected growth of drinking yogurt market in Saudi Arabia 2015-2020
DuPont concepts and prototypes in terms
of flavor, taste, texture and benefits?
Following the global dairy trends
Food shopping habits are developing in
Saudi Arabia and are mimicking those
in Western countries. This is reflected
in a demand for a wide range of food
products following the global trends in
health and convenience. It is the growing
numbers of young people in the country
who are particularly interested in the latest
global consumption developments as
they are influenced by the proliferation of
social media. A rapid rise in population,
along with increased urbanization and
changes in lifestyle and dietary patterns
are providing the catalyst for a growing
awareness about healthy eating and the
positive contribution of dairy products to a
healthy lifestyle. The cultured dairy sector
and drinking yogurt in particular is well-
placed to take advantage of this growing
trend, not least because yogurt is already
considered naturally safe and healthy but
also because fermented milk products
have been consumed in the country for
thousands of years.
Expected growth
The market for dairy products in Saudi
Arabia is growing fast and the drinking
yogurt market alone is expected to reach
a value of USD789 million by 2020 making
this a very lucrative business opportunity.
This figure represents around a 9 percent
increase in value and 6 percent in volume
from 2015-2020 (Euromonitor, 2015),
see Figure 1. This market presents
considerable challenges for food
production, distribution and storage.
These challenges can be overcome,
however, with the benefits of long shelf
life yogurt in terms of easy storage and
distribution.
Successful long shelf life drinking
yogurt
The results of the consumer research
are now available to be shared with the
industry and contain a number of important
market drivers to be considered in drinking
yogurt development in Saudi Arabia.
New concepts and prototypes have
been presented to focus groups in Saudi
Arabia and their feedback is presented
alongside the market drivers. The research
outcomes have been presented using
an approach that highlights the benefits
of long shelf life drinking yogurts for
the whole of the food supply chain
including the manufacturer, distributor
and consumer. It is clear that drinking
yogurts are an important part of the
diet in Saudi Arabia and finding a place
in the daily consumption of food is just
one of the keys to market success. Other
important factors have surfaced from
the recent targeted consumer research.
DuPont Nutrition & Health offers technical
expertise and market insights to help
deliver successful drinking yogurt products
into this challenging market place.