This week, Bright Dairy profits from a Chinese yoghurt focus, US retail group Winn-Dixie sell off dairy plants, and impulse buying is found to be the key driver in the UK ice cream market.

Yoghurt shines on Bright Dairy fortunes
China-based Bright Dairy, a former joint venture partner of Danone, has posted strong sales improvements since its split from the French dairy giant, according to press reports.

The company said that sales were up by 30 per cent for January compared to the same period during the previous year, in a statement acquired by the Reuters news agency on Wednesday.

The performance reflected the company's increasing focus on higher-cost products like yoghurts, as well as a planned expansion outside of its core Eastern Chinese customer base, according to Bright Dairy.

Bright Dairy expects further annual sales growth of between 15 to 20 per cent over the next five years, according to the report.