Yoplait

Yoplait
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Food processing, Dairy products
Founded	September 25, 1965; 61 years ago
Founder	Coalition of six regional dairy cooperatives (Yola and Coplait among them)
Headquarters	Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Area served	Worldwide (via franchises)
Products	Yogurt and dairy desserts
Owner	Sodiaal (since 2021)
Number of employees	1250 (2024)
Website	www.yoplait.com

Yoplait ( , ) stands as a French dessert enterprise and ranks as the globe's foremost franchise brand in the yogurt sector.

Since 2021, Yoplait has been wholly owned by the French dairy cooperative Sodiaal. In 2025, Sodiaal also took over Yoplait's Canadian branch, while the American segment is planned to be acquired by the French corporation Lactalis.

History

In 1964, a coalition of 100,000 French farmers united six regional dairy cooperatives to establish a national brand. The name Yoplait was introduced on 25 September 1965, combining the names of two founding cooperatives, Yola and Coplait. Its emblem, a flower with six petals created by Philippe Morlighem, represented the original six cooperatives; this was later updated to a five-petal design.

On 18 May 2011, General Mills purchased a controlling interest of 51% in Yoplait S.A.S. along with half of its intellectual property rights, with Sodiaal maintaining ownership of the remainder. This transaction was finalized on 1 July 2011. General Mills divested its shares back to Sodiaal on 30 November 2021.

Yoplait's corporate headquarters reside at 150, rue Gallieni, Boulogne-Billancourt, employing close to 1,250 staff members as of 2024. The company reported revenues of €750 million in 2023. Its strategy capitalizes on robust cooperative ownership combined with expansive global franchise networks to secure a prominent position in the dairy market.

Australia

In Australia, production of Yoplait products is handled by Bega Dairy & Drinks. In November 2019, China's Mengniu Dairy announced plans to acquire Lion from Japan's Kirin Holdings, but this deal was aborted in 2020 due to geopolitical issues and regulatory obstacles. The brand promotes itself with the tagline "Yoplait; French for Yoghurt!".

Canada

Within Canada, General Mills distributes various Yoplait offerings such as pre-stirred yogurt, Minigo, Tubes, Source, Creamy, Delicieux, Yop, Basket, Yoptimal, and Asana. The brand first entered the Canadian market in 1971 through Coopérative Agricole de Granby (later known as Agropur). In 1993, Agropur merged its yogurt operations with Agrifoods to create Ultima Foods, which managed Yoplait until General Mills secured the license in 2012. Ultima Foods continues production under subcontract while also launching its own competing brand, iögo. In January 2025, General Mills divested its Canadian yogurt division to Sodiaal as part of strategic portfolio adjustments.

Chile

In Chile, Yoplait is overseen by Quillayes.

France

The French market operations of Yoplait are conducted by Yoplait France.

Ireland

From 1973 until 2017, Glanbia controlled Yoplait in Ireland. In that year, Glanbia's dairy processing unit formed a joint venture named Glanbia Ireland, with Glanbia Co-operative Society holding a majority stake of 60%, and Glanbia owning the remaining 40%.

Israel

In Israel, Tnuva—the nation’s largest dairy producer—manages Yoplait’s kosher product line. Their drinkable yogurt is packaged innovatively for ease of use. Yoplait commands between 42% and 52% of the flavored yogurt market share in Israel. In partnership with Tnuva, production facilities were established in Romania in 2007. By 2009, they introduced a family-sized 500g yogurt featuring resealable packaging.

Italy

Yoplait made its debut in the Italian market in 1992 through a partnership between Sodiaal and Kraft Foods, achieving a market share of 2.5% by 1993. However, the brand withdrew from Italy in 1999.

Mexico

The Yoplait brand is managed in Mexico by Sigma Alimentos.

New Zealand

Goodman Fielder is responsible for producing and franchising Yoplait products in New Zealand.

Norway

Since 1998, Fjordland, a subsidiary of Tine, has held the Yoplait franchise rights in Norway. In 2014, Fjordland faced a lawsuit from Q-Meieriene concerning an alleged infringement related to the design of containers used for cultured milk products.

Portugal

Yoplait was franchised to Gelgurte in Portugal until 2010, when the franchise agreement was discontinued. Since that time, Yoplait products have not been produced or distributed within the country.

Spain

Production and sales of Yoplait ceased in Spain in 2001, accompanied by the closure of its manufacturing facility in Alcobendas and the brand’s exit from the Spanish market.

South Korea

Binggrae, a subsidiary of Hanwha Group, handles both production and management of the Yoplait brand in South Korea.

United Kingdom

Yoplait UK Ltd is wholly owned by Yoplait France. The joint venture with Dairy Crest concluded in April 2009. The company operates out of General Mills’ European headquarters located in Uxbridge, London. The UK market offers tubed yogurts marketed as Frubes—a portmanteau of fruit and tube—divided between the Petits Filous and Wildlife Choobs lines. Additional offerings include Petits Filous pots, Wildlife yogurt pots, Cal-in+ pot yogurts, yogurt drinks, and Yop drinking yogurt.

United States

Yoplait entered the American market in 1974 under license to Michigan Cottage Cheese Company. In 1977, General Mills acquired exclusive U.S. marketing rights along with a yogurt manufacturing plant in Reed City, Michigan. The company later expanded production with a facility in Carson, California to serve the West Coast market where Yoplait quickly became a leading brand; East Coast distribution commenced in 1981.

The product range includes various fruit-flavored yogurts packaged in distinctive truncated-cone containers sealed with aluminum foil. General Mills also markets child-oriented brands such as Trix Yogurt and Go-Gurt (noted for its portable tube packaging), as well as a probiotic line called Yo-Plus. As of 2023, Original Yoplait products contain ingredients derived from bioengineering.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Yoplait experienced considerable erosion of its U.S. market share due to competition from Greek yogurt brands like Chobani. General Mills’ efforts to introduce Greek-style versions under the Yoplait name were largely unsuccessful. Drawing lessons from these setbacks, the company shifted focus to emphasize Yoplait’s French origins to enhance its competitive positioning.

In July 2017, General Mills unveiled Oui by Yoplait, an adaptation of its French Saveur d’Autrefois line tailored for American consumers. Oui distinguishes itself through a "pot-set" method: ingredients are poured into individual glass jars and fermented separately, which eliminates the need for stabilizers such as cornstarch or gelatin while improving product authenticity and texture.

United Arab Emirates

Within the United Arab Emirates, Yoplait operates as a subsidiary under the Agthia Group umbrella.

Community engagement

Within the United States, Yoplait conducts the yearly "Save Lids to Save Lives" initiative, contributing ten cents for each pink foil lid collected toward breast cancer research, with an annual donation limit of $2 million. These funds benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Since 2001, Yoplait has served as the main sponsor of the Race for the Cure event, enhancing fundraising activities.

To mitigate environmental impact, Yoplait introduced a rim on its yogurt cups designed to prevent wildlife, including skunks, from becoming trapped. This change is accompanied by a label stating "Protect Wildlife: Crush Cup Before Disposal."

Controversies

The 2011 film Pink Ribbons, Inc. exposed that some products under the "Save Lids to Save Lives" campaign originally contained milk sourced from cows treated with bovine somatotropin, a growth hormone prohibited in numerous countries; Yoplait later eliminated this ingredient.

In 2012, following objections from the National Eating Disorders Association about its depiction of challenging food decisions, Yoplait pulled a television commercial.

Since 1998, animal rights organizations such as the Humane Society have criticized Yoplait's traditional tapered cup design due to dangers posed to small animals that can become trapped and perish, leading to demands for a redesign.

External links