A new dairy dessert product, Danette, made with 75%, hit grocery stores across Canada over the weekend, backed by a TV campaign and in-store tastings.
The mouth feel of the refrigerated dessert is described as creamy and silky and thinner than yogurt or pudding. It is expected to compete with cookies, ice cream, cake and chocolate, which make up 80% of the “indulgence dessert” category, for a part of the dessert and dairy snack market.
Danone Canada president and general manager Nik Krzyzaniak told Canadian Grocer that Danette is the first entry into a new product category, a non-frozen dairy dessert without the fermented culture that typifies yogurt.
Danette has been available for 44 years in 27 countries, said Krzyzaniak.
In a press release Danone boasted that “Danette has never failed to be a huge hit with consumers” in those countries.
Krzyzaniak said Canadian grocers have been asking for the product and though refrigerated shelf space is at a premium, he anticipates no difficulties in placing Danette alongside ready-to-eat puddings and similar desserts.
It is marketing Danette as a healthy indulgence that is not excessively sweet.
“The yogurt category is one of the fastest growing,” says Krzyzaniak, with stores on average devoting 20 feet of refrigeration space for it.
Danone is available in six flavours: dark chocolate, chocolate, choco-coconut, vanilla, coffee and caramel in packages of four 100-gram containers with a suggested retail price of $2.99. On Friday, Walmart was promoting the item on its website for $2.97.
A container of Danette chocolate has 120 calories with 3% milk fat, 15 grams of sugar and 4 grams of protein, the company said.
Groupe Danone is a Paris, France-based multinational producer of dairy products, baby foods and cereals, among other foods. Its Canadian division is based in Boucherville, Que.
