Nationwide expansion for ProU Yogurt
PROU Yogurt, a first-of-its-kind 100 per cent Irish fortified yogurt by former Bord Bia executive Michael Murphy, is now available at SuperValu stores throughout Ireland in an expanded retail listing worth €200,000.
Produced at Killowen Farm in Co. Wexford using locally-sourced premium Irish dairy ingredients, ProU is the first yogurt product on the Irish and UK market fortified with protein, calcium and Vitamin D to help maintain bone and muscle health from mid-life onwards. The deal with SuperValu will enable ProU to strengthen its foothold in the Irish yogurt market, a sector estimated to be worth €260 million.
Launched at the Bloom Festival in June 2016, ProU is the first product from Michael and Jane Murphy’s Irish startup M&J Nutrition. Having secured a number of regional listings with SuperValu and other leading retailers since launch, the expanded listing with SuperValu reflects a growing consumer trend toward health and wellness products offering enhanced nutritional benefits. ProU is also stocked in a number of hospital canteens and workplace restaurants throughout Ireland.
Michael Murphy, Founder and Managing Director of M&J Nutrition said: ‘We have enjoyed a strong partnership with SuperValu since the launch of ProU Yogurt last year, supplying stores in Dublin and Wexford. The decision by Musgrave to build on this partnership by stocking ProU in over 70 SuperValu stores throughout the country marks a major milestone in our business progression, deepening our footprint across Ireland and enabling us to meet increased consumer demand. We estimate that the deal will add at least €200,000 to our annual turnover within a short space of time, unlocking opportunities to target further growth, both in existing and new stores.
‘The Irish yogurt market is worth €260 million annually and dairy is one of our strongest sectors. We see a real opportunity here as research tells us that one third of Irish consumers are looking for healthier options and ProU meets that need. Each 150g ProU pot contains more than 10g of protein, all your daily Vitamin D requirements and over 80% of your daily calcium requirements. In recent months, we have seen a growing number of queries from consumers around the country keen to try ProU – I’m delighted that they will now be able to pick up the product in their local SuperValu store.’
Ireland currently has an ageing population with 650,000 people aged over 65, equating to 12 per cent of the population. This figure is set to rise to 1.4m, or 22 per cent of the total population, in the next 25 years. As bone and muscle strength can begin to decline from as early as the age of 30, naturally fortified foods such as ProU are become increasingly important, enabling consumers to take a proactive role in mitigating bone and muscle deterioration through a combination of diet and exercise.
‘Currently the Irish Osteoporosis Society estimates that one-in-two women and one-in-four men over 50 years are prone to osteoporosis (brittle bones). Exercise and calcium intake play a key role in mitigating the impact of Osteoporosis”, said Michael Murphy. ‘Currently over 60 per cent of our yogurts are imported and we’d like to change that statistic because Ireland has the highest quality home grown and local ingredients in Europe.’
ProU Yogurt was developed with research and development support from Teagasc and also received research and brand development support from Bord Bia, and market evaluation and investment from Enterprise Ireland.