US kefir probiotic supplier Lifeway Foods has outlined plans to introduce Probiotic Kefir Butter, a European-style cultured butter.
The new offering is “expected to roll out in select retail and foodservice channels beginning in 2026”.
The product will be sold in an 8oz tub and offered in three variants: unsalted, sea salt and honey butter.
According to the company, the butter is intended for multiple applications, including spreading, baking, finishing vegetables and proteins, sauces and brunch-focused uses.
Lifeway Foods president and CEO Julie Smolyansky said: “Our strength has always been cultured dairy,” “We already operate a butter business and understand the category deeply. What has changed is the consumer mindset. With the newly release dietary guidelines that highlight cultured foods and trends favouring quality, full-fat dairy, we see a significant opportunity to scale and to innovate at the intersection of butter and kefir.”
Lifeway said it will rely on its existing cultured dairy and butter-making infrastructure through its subsidiary Fresh Made.
The unit provides established manufacturing capacity and specialised equipment, which the company said will support scaling as demand increases.
The company pointed to wider category trends of increasing uptake of spreadable tub formats, supported by consumer demand for convenience.
Probiotic Kefir Butter is expected to be introduced through selected retail and foodservice channels.
In September 2024, Lifeway Foods announced its first expansion of kefir distribution in the South African market.
