Hain Celestial buys yogurt line

Melville-based Hain Celestial Group Inc. has added a new company to its line of food brands — Greek Gods Yogurt.

The newly acquired company, 3 Greek Gods LLC, of Mountlake Terrace, Washington state, makes a line of refrigerated foods including Greek-style yogurt.

Greek Gods sells plain, non-fat, fig, honey, pomegranate, vanilla and honey strawberry yogurt. Its ice cream flavors are baklava, chocolate fig and honey pomegranate. Its lebni — or kefir cheese — is sold plain, with recommendations that it be served with olive oil and dried mint; or as a dip, or as an alternative to sour cream.

Greek Gods 2009 sales were about $10 million, mostly in natural-foods stores and grocery retailers.

Hain did not disclose the terms of the deal, which closed Friday. It expects the new brand to immediately add to its earnings.

Greek Gods yogurt "is thicker and creamier than conventional-style yogurt and generally higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates and sodium," Hain said in a news release.

Hain Celestial's overall focus is on natural-foods and organic products.

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