Swedish milk group Skane Dairy has reported an improvement in first half net profits from SKr23 million to SKr30 million (€3.3m), helped by a steady rise in sales.
The company said that sales growth had been driven primarily by its sour milk, fruit yoghurt, juice and ProViva brands. ProViva is the company's non-dairy functional fruit drink which contains Lactobacillus plantarum 299v.
The half also saw the nationwide launch of the company's Primaliv yoghurt brand, the first product in Sweden to be approved as a functional food, according to the company. The yoghurt contains another probiotic ingredient, LactobacillusRhamnosus 271, which helps digestion of food and can even offer relief for certain stomach disorders.
Skane Dairy's recent marketing joint venture with compatriot dairy group Milko, called Ostkompaniet, has helped the company improve its profitability in the cheese sector, the firm said in a statement.