PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Oddlygood Global, a spinoff of Valio, one of Finland’s premiere food companies, has landed the first U.S. supermarket account for its plant-based oat yogurts: United Supermarkets based in Lubbock, Texas. The retailer is slated to start selling the four-item line this month in more than 15 stores.
The yogurts, launched in Finland in 2018, are now widely available in grocery stores in five Nordic countries. The deal with United Supermarkets is part of Oddlygood’s expansion to new international markets. Late last year Oddlygood Global secured its first round of funding with an investment of $28 million from the private equity division of Helsinki-based Mandatum Asset Management to fuel the expansion of its growing portfolio of plant-based dairy alternatives.
The U.S. division of Oddlygood, based in Parsippany, N.J., showcased the plant-based yogurts at Natural Products Expo West, a trade show and conference running March 10 – 12, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif.
The creamy, hint-of-oat taste Oddlygood yogurts finished first in taste in a survey of U.S. oat yogurts conducted last spring by Curion, a consumer product testing company and garnered high marks for texture and aroma versus leading brands. For the U.S. market, the yogurt is being produced in Northern California with oats from Canada.
At Expo West, Oddlygood debuted its new slogan, “World Rocking Tast.” Mari Meriluoto, director of marketing and business development for Valio USA, says: “Taste is the number one factor in this category. Consumers are craving plant-based options that actually taste good. Oddlygood can deliver on this promise. We’ve set the standard that our products must be so tasty that they rock the world.”
The yogurt flavors include Plain, Vanilla, Blueberry and Raspberry. They come in single-serve containers in 5.3 oz. (150 gram) portions and are sold in 12-pack cases. The suggested retail price is $1.99/5.3 oz.
Each yogurt has 3 grams of protein per serving and contains live and active cultures. Calories range from 110 to 120 per container. The yogurt is made from a blend of water, gluten-free oat flour, cane sugar, pea protein and other ingredients depending on the flavor and is enriched with vitamins (B12 and D2) and minerals (calcium). For more details and sell sheet, click here.
In other product news, Oddlygood has entered the U.S. foodservice market with a line of plant-based Shredded Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese alternatives and a plant-based Mozzarella log that are prized for their meltability versus other cheese alternatives. The company has so far inked deals with five distributors in the Northeast. To date five pizza operators in New York state are using the cheese for their plant-based pizzas and other items.
Oddlygood presented the cheeses at Pizza Expo, the leading pizza industry trade show, March 22 – 24, 2022, in Las Vegas.
About Oddlygood
Oddlygood is a spinoff of Valio, one of Finland’s premier food companies. Oddlygood wants to change the world with awesome taste and appealing plant-based products. Oddlygood has the benefit of 100 years of expertise in food products and a committed team that continuously develops delicious plant-based products. Known in the U.S. for its Finlandia brand of cheeses and butter, Valio incorporated its Oddlygood business in spring 2021. This provided Oddlygood the resources and expertise to respond to surging global demand for quality plant-based products. Oddlygood’s growing line of plant-based products are currently available at retailers in Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Russia and soon in the U.S. Learn more at oddlygood.net.
