Yofix Probiotics of Tel Aviv is launching a dairy-free, soy-free yogurt alternative in three fruit flavors. Based on oats, lentils, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and coconut, the product (to be called Only in Israel and Yofix abroad) is traditionally fermented and contains live probiotic cultures and prebiotic fibers.

Yofix founder Ronen Lavee, an agricultural mechanical engineer with lactose intolerance, searched for a dairy-free yogurt alternative with good flavor and texture. He experimented with more than 100 fermented formulas based on natural ingredients until he found the “Bio 5 formula” using no added sugars, preservatives or colors.

The new vegan product line leaves a low carbon footprint since there is no use of cow milk and, unlike almond or cashew, does not require a great amount of water. The production process is zero waste, since all raw materials utilized in production remain in the final product.

The company is seeking partners to launch the Yofix line in Europe and the United States.

“We will be developing new plant-based dairy substitutes for milk, yogurt drinks, cream cheese, coffee creamers and even ice cream,” says CEO Steve Grun. “Our proprietary manufacturing technology and formulations are highly flexible and require minimum investment for versatility.”

The startup was the first company to join The Kitchen food-tech incubator in Ashdod run by the Strauss Group, the main investor in Yofix.

Last week, Yofix was chosen to receive a €100,000 grant from PepsiCo’s European Nutrition Greenhouse accelerator.

Yofix was one of three Israeli food-tech companies in the 2018 cohort of 10; the others are A1C Foods of Ramat Gan, which formulates low-carbohydrate food products such as chocolate, bread and ice cream; and the Sprouted Grain Company of Ramat Gan, which makes nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest whole grains, legumes, flours, nuts and seeds with exceptionally long shelf life.