DMK Group has announced that it will reduce the sugar content of products throughout its Milram range, as the company aims to adapt to the changing nutritional demands of consumers.

DMK says that it will implement this new strategy in three phases. Firstly, Milram’s buttermilk and kefir drinks and its quark creams will have sugar content reduced, followed by the brand’s sweet products such as vanilla dessert sauces, and finally all products with added sugar will be reformulated.

The dairy co-operative is one of the largest suppliers of milk to Germany’s food retail industry and the catering trade, producing 8.1 million kilograms of processed milk annually, and DMK says it will leverage its market position to help drive change in the industry.

According to the company, several Milram products released earlier this year such as its fruit flavoured buttermilk and fine quark products already contain less sugar than comparable products, and the brand is committed to building on this progress with future product releases.

Matthias Rensch, COO of DMK’s Brand Business Unit said: “At DMK, we develop new concepts and products that meet consumers’ needs and help them lead a balanced life.

“As a leading food manufacturer, we focus on customer-oriented approach in order to offer dairy products that consumers are looking for on the refrigerated shelves.

“This year and next year, we will gradually reduce the added sugar so that consumers can get used to having less sugar.

“This is very important: We compensate for the lower sugar content not with sweeteners or sweetener-based aromas, but with milk and yoghurt.

“After all, the brand represents natural, genuine enjoyment. Apart from this, consumers are increasingly interested in a shorter list of ingredients. Clean and clear labels are a big topic.

“One of the decisive factors for chefs is consistency. Our Milram professional desserts – whether quark, yoghurt, buttermilk or Skyr – stand out with their creamy texture in particular.

“This will not change in the future. Even with less sugar, the tried-and-tested quality remains intact.”