Yogurt Week - 19-25 May 2014 Passing On Britain's Love For All Things Yogurt

Monday 19 May marks the start of Yogurt Week, the UK’s first celebration of all things yogurt! Whether it’s for breakfast on the go, a delicious snack or to use in your favourite recipes, yogurt contains a range of nutrients important for a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, and is a versatile food staple for all the family to enjoy. With so many ways to enjoy yogurt, the Yogurt Council has launched the first dedicated Yogurt Week, in celebration of one of the most popular food items in the British diet.

Just how popular is yogurt?

• One in five British consumers eat yogurt on a daily basis

• Almost two thirds of adults eat yogurt at least once a week

• In Britain, we purchased over 2.7 billion pots of yogurt in the last year, that’s 86 every second of every day. Which means 7.4 million pots are consumed everyday

• Brits eat enough yogurt every week to fill more than 3.5 Olympic size swimming pools – equivalent in weight to 4 x The London Eye or 737 double decker buses

• Brits consumed over 460,000 tonnes of yogurt in the last year, enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall more than 4.5 times

• In the UK we spent over £1.2 billion on yogurt in the last year, that’s £38 every second of every day

• Over 90% of British households purchased yogurt in the last year, that’s 23.9m households

The history of yogurt

Yogurt is one of the oldest foods developed by man. Yogurt is believed to have been eaten since 10,000 to 5,000 BC. It is probable that the earliest yogurt was made by accident in Mesopotamia around 5,000 BC, when milk-producing animals were first domesticated. By 2,000 BC it is estimated that about half of the human population was accustomed to eating dairy products.

Yogurt in your daily life

There are thousands of ways to enjoy yogurt and it's the perfect ingredient for customising your favourite dishes to suit your personal taste. Enjoyed on its own as a snack, as the basis for a creative recipe (savoury and sweet),the uses for yogurt are plentiful. From complimenting a breakfast fruit plate, fuelling the kids in between meal times, marinating meat or livening up a wholesome homemade soup, yogurt is a great staple for all the family to enjoy. The wide variety of flavours and textures offers something for every palate and the convenience of yogurt pots (in a variety of sizes) means it’s the perfect ‘on the go’ snack, great for busy lifestyles.

Key health benefits of eating yogurt:

• Yogurt contains a range of nutrients important in a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle

• Yogurt contains a range of vitamins and minerals including B vitamins, calcium, iodine, phosphorus and potassium

• Yogurt contains protein, which contributes to the maintenance and growth of muscle and maintenance of healthy bones

• Protein is made up of amino acids and yogurt provides all 9 essential amino acids which can’t be made by your body and so have to be present in the food you eat

• Some people are sensitive to lactose, the natural sugar found in milk and this may cause bloating, abdominal discomfort or diarrhoea. The live yogurt cultures can help improve digestion of lactose in individuals with lactose maldigestion

• According to the Eatwell Plate - the Department of Health’s healthy eating guide, low-fat yogurt is a key part of the dairy food group, which we should consume every day  A great all rounder, yogurt can be used in a variety of other ways:

• Soothe sunburn pain - to soothe sunburn pain, spread yogurt on affected area, leave for twenty minutes, then rinse clean with lukewarm warm water

• Get handy in the garden - you can paint natural yogurt on terracotta pots or other garden stone to encourage growth of moss and lichen. Makes new pots look fantastically ‘shabby chic’

Celebrity yogurt fans

Celebrities always lead the way with popular products and trends and yogurt is no exception. Famous fans that have gone on record to declare their love for yogurt include Abbey Clancy, Denise Van Outen, Hilary Swank, Lucy Mecklenburgh, Christie Turlington and Zoe Ball.

Yogurt Week activity

As part of Yogurt Week, the Yogurt Council will be working with a number of different partners and supporters to pass on the positive benefits of yogurt. Activities will include launching a dedicated social media campaign, bespoke Yogurt Week recipe book, a meal planner and a variety of competitions. Ahead of this inaugural week in the culinary calendar, the Yogurt Council is also calling on bloggers and foodie fans to join in the celebrations by devising their own recipe from one of the most versatile ingredients in the fridge.

Jo Sweetman, Director of the Yogurt Council comments:

“We have launched Yogurt Week to demonstrate just how popular yogurt is in the UK. Yogurt comes in a variety of tastes and textures, making it an enjoyable ingredient to include in a varied diet. With so many ways to enjoy yogurt, we’re asking Brits to show their love for yogurt and get involved with our Yogurt Week campaign.”

Yogurt Week runs from 19-25 May 2014. For further information visit loveyogurt.org or follow us on Facebook & Twitter via loveyogurtuk. In the run up to Yogurt Week, a wide variety of information and recipes will be made available that highlight just how versatile yogurt can be, along with a number of ways to make the most of yogurt in daily life.