Reuters
Welcome to the Yogurt Generation.
On Monday, pop empire PepsiCo announced that it's entering the very "spoonable" yogurt market, according to news reports.
Partnering with German yogurt maker Theo Müller, PepsiCo's chief executive said this acquisition is part of her strategy to make the cola giant's brand seem more "fun for you, better for you, good for you", reported the New York Times.
But how exactly is the company planning to turn what many consider a dull, tasteless, slimy snack into a crave-worthy treat? A little Pepsi magic, of course.
"[Yogurt has] been an 'I gotta have it because it's good for me' kind of a product," Dr. Mehmood Khan, who oversees PepsiCo's global research and development, told the Times. "The 'wanna have it' was missing."
PepsiCo isn't the only food conglomerate trying to diversify its pantry by adding health-conscious items to it. Earlier in the year, McDonald's announced that it would be giving its Happy Meal a healthy makeover. Instead of a hamburger, parents can now choose a grilled chicken wrap. And the fries alternative? Yup, you guessed it: yogurt.
Believe it or not, this is not the first time Pepsi has experimented with yogurt. In 2008, the company put out "Pepsi White," a yogurt-flavoured cola. The milky white soda was described as smelling and tasting like potpourri. (Though, perhaps not surprisingly, there wasn't any actual yogurt in it.)
But not much has been said about PepsiCo's upcoming flavours. Here's hoping there'll be a groovy chocolate-cherry mixture called "jazz," a cinnamony "fire" and – what will undoubtedly be the coolest yogurt of all – a see-through and "pure" one called Crystal.
Would you try a PepsiCo yogurt?
Madeleine White