Asia Food & Beverages Report (May/June 2021 issue)

ASIA
MALT DRINK
Nestle launched Plant-based Milo in Asia starting
with Malaysia
Nestle officially launched its plant-based version of Milo chocolate
malt beverage in the Asian market this year.
The new version replaces milk with almond and soy in the original
recipe while the other 2 core ingredients, malt and cocoa, remain
unchanged.
The new dairy-free Milo beverage was initially launched in Malaysia
in April, followed by several other countries in Asia. Last year, Nestle
introduced the plant-based Milo powder in Australia.
Nestle’s Head of Dairy Strategic Business Unit, Mayank Trivedi
said, “Milo is an iconic brand in Malaysia and across Asia and muchloved
across generations. We want to provide consumers with ontrend
alternatives in formats they want. That’s why we’re delighted to
launch Milo Dairy Free to support people’s lifestyle choices.”
Nestle Malaysia has also unveiled a plant-based version of coffee
mixes, namely Nescafe Dairy Free Almond Latte and Nescafe Dairy
Free Oat Latte.
According to Nestle Singapore Research and Development (R&D)
Centre Head Guglielmo Bonora, “We’re expanding our offerings
across Asia by developing a variety of great-tasting, nutritious and
sustainable plant-based products. We want to make it easier for
people to embrace plant-based alternatives in their diet while also
reducing our carbon footprint across the supply chain.”
SINGAPORE
MILK ALTERNATIVE
Micro-algae milk offers full nutrition while suitable
for lactose-intolerant consumers
Sophie’s Bionutrients, a Singapore-based next-generation
sustainable urban food production technology company has recently
unveiled the world’s first-ever micro-algae-based milk that promises
to eliminate allergies making it safe for consumption for people with
lactose-intolerance.
The product was made with Sophie’s Bionutrients signature microalgae
protein flour with the same essential amino acids as microalgae.
The flour is then homogenised with water to create the dairyfree
milk alternative.
The dairy alternative is comparable in nutritional
value to cow’s milk. However, the protein value
can be elevated by up to 50% by altering ratios
in the water-soluble micro-algae flour. The sample
alternative milk produced has a similar texture to
nut-based milk. However, it can be further refined
to mimic the creamy texture of dairy.
Sophie’s Bionutrients is the world’s first food tech
company to use microalgae and patent-pending
technologies to develop 100% plant-based and
sustainable alternative protein with the core vision
that micro-algae is the superfood of the future.
Eugene Wang, CEO of Sophie’s Bionutrients said,
“We believe in harnessing the power of nature
to build a sustainable, greener future through
environment-friendly alternative food solutions.
We believe that micro-algae is the best place to
help us achieve this. It is the superfood of the
future. Through further refinement with food and
beverage producing partners developments like
this one, the world’s first allergen-free micro-algae milk, we believe
we can transform the way we live, produce and consume food for
the better.”
As the world is moving towards a 9.7 billion population by 2050, there
is a growing pressure to find sustainable and cost-effective alternative
food solutions. At the heart of all Sophie Bionutrient’s products is their
natural, neutral colour micro-algae flour made from their proprietary
strain of microalgae that can be harvested in just 3 days. Prepared
in-house in a protected environment, Sophie’s micro-algae has a
whole-wheat flour colour that can take on unlimited forms, textures or
colours. From burger patties to alternative milk, Sophie’s Bionutrients
micro-algae flour can be used to develop almost any food.
Furthermore, the micro-algae is self-sustaining and can be fed
food waste such as spent grains, okara and molasses during the
fermentation process - creating a sustainable, circular production
method. Nurturing the micro-algae in a protected environment also
allows for output 10 times higher than conventional sunshine pond
operations, reducing the cultivation costs usually associated with
micro-algae farming.
Sophie’s Bionutrients is on a mission to unleash the limitless
possibilities of nature, restore our planet and eliminate food
allergies by creating plant-based, protein-rich alternatives to meat
and seafood using microalgae, the mother of all food and plant life.
Sophie’s Bionutrients is a Foodtech 500 startup and winner of the
MassChallenge 2020.
CHINA
New Products
Mizone launched 1 st vitamin sparkling water in China
WATER
Mizone Vitamin Sparkling Drink was launched in mainland China on 1 April.
It is Mizone’s first vitamin sparkling water and contains Vitamin C, B6, B12
and nicotinamide plus dietary fiber.
One bottle of the drink can provide 11.5% of the daily required dietary fiber.
Labelled as ‘low sugar’, the product distinguishes itself from other traditional
sparkling waters with its double fruity flavors, which combines health and
good taste in a carbonated drink. It comes in 2 flavours - refreshing Lemon
& Lime Flavor and strong fruity Orange & Blood Orange Flavor. The new
product is now available at convenience stores in Shanghai.
Mizone is a brand owned by the Danone Group. Earlier on 15 April 2020,
Danone (China) Food & Beverage Co., Ltd. (Danone China) announced
plan to upgrade Mizone’s brand positioning, packaging, formulation and
taste. This will be the biggest adjustment for Mizone over the last 10 years.
As part of this effort, Mizone has proposed a new tagline ‘Mizone Forward’,
as well as promoting an active and optimistic attitude to life – ‘Dare to take
action’. This upgrade in brand proposition has positioned the brand as
younger and more modern.
Industry sources said that the domestic sparkling water market has
ballooned since 2019. At the same time, COVID-19 has raised health
awareness in consumers with ‘Joy’ and ‘Health’ being keywords for the drink
market in 2021.
Young consumers pay more attention to healthy lifestyles in the postpandemic
era. “As a leading brand in the vitamin drink market, Mizone
hopes to help young people move forward to their best states,” said Yang
Xiaofan, Marketing Director of the Mizone brand.
In a separate development, Danone has also released at the same
time, its Alpro plant-based series of coffee mate in China. During the
first Shanghai Coffee Culture Week, professional baristas were seen
making cups of plant-based coffee and tea from the Alpro products
at the Danone booth.
Chen Yiying, Senior Vice President of Danone Asia Dairy Products
and Plant-based Products, said that the coffee culture in China has
been booming. Meanwhile, Chinese consumers’ health awareness
and demand for plant-based foods are also growing, and consumers
are no longer satisfied with that single combination of milk with coffee.
The low-fat and low-sugar Alpro products will provide a new
generation of consumers with more quality, sustainable and
diversified health options.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
Probiotic manufacturers swarming into mainland
China
With a population of more than 1.4 billion people and a rapidly growing
middle class, China is a hot bed for manufacturers of health and nutritional
supplement products, especially when there is a rising consumer trend in
favour of such products amidst the ongoing pandemic threat.
Recent entrants include Swedish-based BioGaia, which is launching its
bone health probiotic, Osfortis into China via cross-border e-commerce
(CBEC) channel. China will be the 1 st Asian market for the product.
Osfortis contains the proprietary lactic acid bacterium Limosilactobacillus
reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 and vitamin D3 for the maintenance of normal
bone health. This will add to its existing supplement products available in
China. Target consumers for this capsule product include health conscious
individuals who want to prevent osteoporosis from developing.
BioGaia saw a 20% year-on-year growth in China mainly from online
sales from 2019 – 2020 period. This is supported by China’s government
promotion of probiotic use, as a recommended alternative treatment for
severe and critical COVID-19 cases.
In addition, a clinical trial conducted in elderly women found that the
probiotic strain used in Osfortis could reduce the loss of bone mineral
density as compared to the placebo.
Earlier in April, another Swedish probiotic firm, Probi is also expanding its
presence in China via a new agreement with China National Pharmaceutical
Foreign Trade Corporation (Sinopharm). Under the partnership, Sinopharm
will be launching probiotic products for immune health, bone health, and
iron absorption with probiotic strains backed by Probi’s research and clinical
data. The probiotics will be launched under a new brand.
Probi’s bone health portfolio consists of Probi Osteo, which combines the
proprietary strains Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HEAL9, Lactiplantibacillus
plantarum HEAL 19, and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei 8700:2.
For immune health, the company’s portfolio consists of Probi Defendum,
which combines Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HEAL9 and Lacticaseibacillus
paracasei 8700:2 strains.
Sinopharm subsidiary, Sinipharm Xingsha Pharmaceutical had also sealed
a probiotic business deal with Japan firm Morishita Jintan last year, where
it became the latter’s general agent in China in distributing probiotics under
the brand Bifina.
35 Asia Food & Beverages