TheWall Street Journalreported that global snacks and beverage giantPepsiCo Inc.,Purchase, N.Y., plans to introduce a U.S. yogurt line through a coming joint venture with European dairy leaderTheo Müller GmbH & Co. KG,Fischach-Aretsried, Germany.

Neither company confirmed the news. However, theWSJsaid PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi "has made no secret of the company's ambition to expand in dairy" and noted that PepsiCo is moving toward healthier products containing fruit, grains and dairy. The paper also noted PepsiCo's recent launch of a Tropicana drinkable fruit puree.

Elsewhere, PepsiCo quietly has enjoyed a success in refrigerated hummus, dips and other spreads. In 2008, it formed a joint ownership inSabra Dipping Co. with Israel'sStrauss Group. That business' growth spurred 2009-2010 construction of a Sabra manufacturing plant in Colonial Heights, Va.