Strained vs set: the fundamental split
Authentic Greek yoghurt is strained. After fermentation, whey is drained through cloth or centrifuge until the yoghurt reaches a thick, spoon-standing consistency. Set yoghurt, by contrast, ferments in the pot with no straining. It is common across northern Europe but is not the traditional Greek product.
The label "Greek yoghurt" is not currently protected in every export market; "Greek-style" is a common workaround for yoghurt produced outside Greece. If your programme depends on origin storytelling, contract only with Greek dairies and require the country of origin on the pack.
Protein levels
Strained Greek yoghurt typically delivers 8 to 10 g of protein per 100 g at 2% and 5% fat levels, rising to 9 to 10 g per 100 g at 10% fat. This is roughly double the protein of standard set yoghurt and is the basis of the category's positioning in modern retail.
Retail formats
- 150 g and 170 g single-serve cups (retail, chilled).
- 500 g and 1 kg tubs for family retail.
- Flavoured 150 g cups (strawberry, blueberry, peach, honey, forest fruits).
- Cream-top and goat-milk lines as premium tier extensions.
Foodservice formats
- 5 kg and 10 kg catering pails for hotels, restaurants and central kitchens.
- Bulk food-grade bag-in-box for industrial and dessert manufacturers.
Private label
Greek yoghurt lends itself to private-label programmes because the underlying product is simple (milk, cream, cultures) and the market is used to shelf presence at multiple price points. Fat level, milk source (cow, goat, mixed), format and sleeve design are the four levers you actually control. MOQs for a cup-format cow's milk 5% strained yoghurt typically start around one truckload; goat and cream-top lines carry higher MOQs and shorter runs.
Packaging and shelf life
Cups are PP or PET with foil lids; tubs are PP with heat-sealed film and snap lids. Shelf life is typically 30 to 45 days from production at 4°C. Cold-chain integrity from Greece to your warehouse is the single most important operational variable.
MOQ considerations
One producer alone will quote roughly one full truck as an MOQ for a single SKU. theGreex often consolidates multiple SKUs from multiple producers to bring the effective entry point down to a mixed pallet or partial truck, which lets smaller retailers and challenger brands enter the category cleanly.