It is understood that Jörd has already been removed from for the shelves in Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s stores. The Dairy co-operative has not stated the exact reason as to why it has discontinued the range.
An Arla spokesman told Food Manufacture: “As a cooperative, we are constantly looking for ways to drive the greatest value for our farmer owners, and we have made the decision to make a strategic shift and refocus the Arla Jörd product range for the foodservice channel. This means that we will no longer offer Arla Jörd as a retail product in the UK.
“We are continuing to develop our plant-based portfolio with our category leading brands, including Lurpak, and have further product launches planned in 2025 across some of our core brands.”
Original launch
Originally launched in 2020, Jörd was positioned as a complimentary product to Arla’s dairy range. Rather than targeting vegetarians, the brand was marketed to consumers looking to supplement their existing milk purchases with different tastes and flavours.
Commenting at the time, MD Ash Amirahmadi said: “Whilst the plant-based market is significantly smaller than dairy, it has captured the imagination of people looking for different tastes and flavours which aligns well with the principles driving our strategic branded growth agenda.
“As food choices become increasingly diverse and experimental, it’s a business opportunity for farmers but one that also aligns with our belief that foods made only from natural ingredients are always better.”
Brand relaunch
The brand relaunched in February last year under the name Arla Jörd sporting new packaging and a reformulated recipe.
Arla reported revenues of £1.2 billion during the first half of 2024 back in September, down 11% on the previous year due to falling commodity and commercial prices. Despite this, the dairy co-op saw 11% volume growth across its brand portfolio in the UK, driven by Lurpak, Arla Protein and Arla Pro.
Meanwhile, Philip Rayner tells the story of gluten-free oat business Glebe Farm Foods, including its legal battle with Oatly, on the Food Manufacture Podcast.
