Dutch retailer Jumbo has introduced three plant-based yogurt variations based on soya beans grown in the Netherlands.

The products, developed and produced by Dutch alt-dairy group De Nieuwe Melkboer (The New Milkman), are being launched under Jumbo’s existing own-label brand, Direct From the Farm. They are available in three flavours: natural, vanilla and forest fruits.

Soya beans can now be grown in the Netherlands, particularly thriving in the south of the country, due to climate change and variety selection. The soya for the plant-based yogurts is dry-harvested and stored.

Tom Grobben, co-owner of De Nieuwe Melkboer, explained that the whole soya bean is used in the process to develop the yogurts, resulting in products that are rich in fibre as well as protein. It also enables efficient use of raw materials without residual flows, he added.

“This allows us to offer quadruple value: tasty, local, nutritious and minimally processed,” Grobben said. “Because we produce efficiently and have good relationships with growers in the country, security of supply is guaranteed. We therefore hope that more parties will follow Jumbo’s example.”

The collaboration between Jumbo and De Nieuwe Melkboer was established through participation in Plant Protein Forward, an initiative from Foodvalley, Rabobank and collaborating provinces aimed at increasing sales and multi-year chain collaboration between farmers and food suppliers.

More than 300 Jumbo stores in the Netherlands are now offering the yogurt variations. They are also available through Jumbo’s website.

The initiative contributes to the supermarket chain’s sustainability ambitions, including preventing waste of raw materials and the reduction of emissions. It also aims to encourage customers to consume more plant-based foods. Jumbo has an ambition to make 60% of its protein sales plant-based by 2030.