Ben & Jerry's dips into Greek yogurt market

NEW YORK (AP) — Ben & Jerry's is stirring the Greek yogurt craze with a new line of frozen treats.

Greek yogurt has been gaining followers in recent years in large part because of its nutritional benefits. Fans also say they like the creamier texture, achieved when whey is strained from the yogurt.

Greek yogurt now accounts for a quarter of the $4.1 billion in annual yogurt sales, according to a recent report by Citigroup Global Markets.

Even as Ben & Jerry's looks to tap into consumers' growing nutritional sensitivity, the company is quick to note that its Greek frozen yogurts are still "indulgent desserts."

The exact nutritional stats for the Greek frozen yogurts vary depending on the flavor. A half-cup serving of blueberry vanilla graham has 200 calories, 7 grams of fat, 23 grams of sugar and 6 grams of protein.

A serving of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, by contrast, has 240 calories, 13 grams of fat, 23 grams of sugar and 4 grams of protein. There are four servings in a pint of ice cream.

Sean Greenwood, a spokesman for Ben & Jerry's, said customers shouldn't expect that "overly sour" taste of Greek yogurt. He instead described the taste as "more like ice cream with a little bit of the tang of Greek yogurt."

Besides blueberry vanilla graham, Ben & Jerry's Greek frozen yogurt flavors will include strawberry shortcake, raspberry fudge chunk and banana peanut butter. They will be available in pint sizes at retailers nationwide this month at a suggested retail price of $4.39. Select flavors will also be available in mini-cups. Many of the company's 300 ice cream shops across the country began selling the Greek frozen yogurts in early February.

Ben & Jerry's, based in Burlington, Vt., is owned by consumer goods giant Unilever PLC.

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