Still Eating Yoplait? General Mills Has Cut the Sugar by 25%

The American yogurt culture, so to speak, has greatly benefited from the overwhelming trend toward healthier Greek brands in the past decade. But, if you are still eating the more commercial sweetened types of yogurt, there is a bit of good news for you.

General Mills announced yesterday they are reformulating their Yoplait Original to contain 25 percent less sugar.

The lower sugar recipe cuts the calories from 170 to 150 per cup, with 18 grams of sugar overall, rather than 26.

Another benefit of the reformulation is a higher protein count.

”The brand will now be using more milk in the Original recipe, which actually increases the protein in a 6-ounce cup of yogurt by one gram, from 5 grams to 6 grams,” the company wrote on its blog.

More milk will also increase the fat content from 1 to 2 grams per container. The changes will be evident in products next month.

The sugar reduction is the latest in Yoplait makeovers. Two years ago, the brand removed high fructose corn syrup.

The company says it stopped using milk from cows treated with the rBGH growth hormone in 2009, and, earlier than that, had reduced sugar in three kids’ yogurts – Yoplait Go-Gurt, Yoplait Trix and Yoplait Kids – “by nearly 25 percent.”

(READ more from TwinCities.com)

Story tip from Michelle