{{Short description|Dairy company}} {{Use American English|date=May 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox company | name = Midwest Yogurt Inc. | logo = Lactalis2023Logo.svg | logo_size = | type = Private | trade_name = Lactalis Midwest Yogurt<br>Yoplait USA | former_name = Yoplait USA, Inc. <small>(1977-2025)</small> | genre = | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | founded = {{start date and age|df=y|1977||}} | founder = | defunct = | hq_location_city = Minnetonka, Minnesota | hq_location_country = United States | num_locations = | area_served = North America (U.S. only) | key_people = | industry = Dairy products | products = Original Yoplait, Go-Gurt, Trix Yogurt, Yo-Plus, Oui by Yoplait | services = | revenue = {{increase}} $1.5bn (2025)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=General Mills Completes Sale of U.S. Yogurt Business to Lactalis |url=https://investors.generalmills.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2025/General-Mills-Completes-Sale-of-U-S--Yogurt-Business-to-Lactalis/default.aspx |access-date=2026-05-06 |website=investors.generalmills.com |language=en-US}}</ref> | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = | assets = | equity = | owner = Besnier family via Lactalis | num_employees = 1,000 | parent = General Mills <small>(1977-2025)</small><br>Lactalis <small>(since 2025)</small> | divisions = | subsidiaries = | website = {{URL|https://www.midwestyogurt.com}} | footnotes = | intl = }} '''Midwest Yogurt Inc.''', doing business as '''Lactalis Midwest Yogurt''' and '''Yoplait USA''', is an American company specializing in the production of dairy products, sold under various brands of the French company Yoplait, headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Midwest Yogurt 2026 Company Profile: Valuation, Investors, Acquisition {{!}} PitchBook |url=https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/656824-51 |access-date=2026-05-06 |website=pitchbook.com |language=en}}</ref> '''Yoplait USA, Inc.''' was established in 1977 when General Mills acquired the U.S. operating rights to the Yoplait brand license from the French company of the same name.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SODIMA v. INTERNATIONAL YOGURT CO., INC., (D.Or. 1987), Civ. No. 86-706-PA. {{!}} D. Or., Judgment, Law, casemine.com |url=https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5914c1c7add7b049347bb726 |access-date=2026-05-06 |website=www.casemine.com |language=en}}</ref>

When the French cooperative Lactalis acquired General Mills U.S. yogurt business in 2025, including Yoplait USA, the entity was succeeded by Midwest Yogurt, which operated under the name '''Lactalis Midwest Yogurt'''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Exhibit 10.32 to General Mills, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year ended May 27, 2007 |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/40704/000089710107001522/gen072744s1_ex10-32.htm |access-date=2026-05-06 |website=www.sec.gov}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

== History ==

=== General Mills era (1977–2025) === The Yoplait brand first entered the United States in 1974 when it was licensed by the Michigan Cottage Cheese Company.

In 1977, General Mills established a separate corporate, Yoplait USA Inc., following acquisition of the U.S. marketing rights to Yoplait from that company, along with the Michigan Cottage Cheese yogurt plant in Reed City, Michigan, still in operation.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cover Story {{!}} Dairy Foods |url=https://www.dairyfoods.com/articles/86990-cover-story |access-date=2026-05-06 |website=www.dairyfoods.com |language=en}}</ref>

Yoplait USA opened a plant in Carson, California to manufacture Yoplait for the West Coast, where it became the best-selling yogurt brand. In 1981, General Mills began selling Yoplait on the East Coast.<ref name="Miller">{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Larry |date=March 11, 1981 |title=Yogurt From France Moves East in U.S. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/11/garden/yogurt-from-france-moves-east-in-us.html |access-date=17 October 2020 |work=The New York Times |page=C12}}</ref>

In 2011, Yoplait USA held the No. 1 brand position in the US yogurt market.<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Mills Completes Yoplait Acquisition |url=https://consumergoods.com/general-mills-completes-yoplait-acquisition |access-date=2026-05-06 |website=Consumer Goods Technology |language=en}}</ref>

=== Lactalis era (2025–present) === On June 30, 2025, Lactalis acquired Yoplait USA and other U.S. yogurt brands from General Mills. General Mills yogurt business in the United States contributed approximately $1.2 billion to General Mills' net revenue in 2025.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=General Mills Sells North American Yogurt Business {{!}} Food Engineering |url=https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103062-general-mills-sells-north-american-yogurt-business |access-date=2026-05-06 |website=www.foodengineeringmag.com |language=en}}</ref>

As a result, Lactalis established Midwest Yogurt in June 2025, with its headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota.<ref name=":1" /> In July 2025, Lactalis announced plans to invest in the Yoplait plant in Reed City, Michigan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New owner to invest in Reed City Yoplait plant after deal |url=https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/food-drink/new-owner-to-invest-in-reed-city-yoplait-plant-after-2-1b-deal/ |access-date=2026-05-06 |website=www.crainsgrandrapids.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Products == Under the Yoplait label, General Mills also markets Trix Yogurt, based on the flavors of their breakfast cereal of the same name, and Go-Gurt, where various flavors are packaged in plastic tubes for spoonless eating; these brands are targeted to children. A probiotic line of yogurt is marketed under the brand name Yo-Plus.

As of Autumn, 2023, Original Yoplait states on the package that it contains bio-engineered ingredients, which is corroborated by a general statement on its website.<ref>{{cite web |title=Do you use GMO ingredients in your product? |url=https://ask.generalmills.com/s/article/Do-you-use-GMO-ingredients-in-your-products |access-date=October 3, 2023 |publisher=General Mills}} (archived by [https://web.archive.org/web/20220901000000*/https://ask.generalmills.com/s/article/Do-you-use-GMO-ingredients-in-your-products Wayback machine] March 2021 and April 2022 but archive is blank)</ref>

== Locations == Midwest Yogurt has factories in Reed City, Michigan and Murfreesboro, Tennessee.<ref name=":2" />

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.midwestyogurt.com/ Official website of Lactalis Midwest Yogurt] * [https://www.yoplait.com/ Official website of Yoplait USA] * [https://www.ouibyyoplait.com/ Official website of Oui by Yoplait brand] * [http://www.lactalis.fr/ Official website of Lactalis] {{Food-company-stub}}

Category:Yogurt companies