China focus: Danone, BY-HEALTH, newly-listed Beijing Scitop Biotech in spotlight
China Post opens first in-house pharmacy, but experts doubt major benefits for supplement firms
China Post has opened its first in-house pharmacy in Beijing, but industry experts have argued that several developments are required if it is to lead to significant new opportunities for supplement firms.
Located within the China Post branch at Qinglong lake in Beijing’s Fangshan district, it is said to be the country’s first pharmacy to be housed within a post office.
This is however, not the first time that China Post has opened a pharmacy. It opened its first pharmacy that is not located inside a post office in Ningxia last December.
Danone China’s Aptamil range banks on new HMO, A2 formulas for further success
Danone China has launched two new products for its Aptamil Essensis 3 range, including an A2 milk and a formula said to contain the highest level of human oligosaccharides (HMOs) across the firm’s entire early life nutrition portfolio.
The two products are Aptamil Essensis and Aptamil Essensis Toddler organic A2 protein milk. Together, they form the Aptamil Essensis 3 series.
The former is said to be rich in HMO 2’-FL and 3’-GL, as well as containing more than 100 galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) structures to help distribute HMOs in a multi-dimensional way in the body.
COVID-19 e-commerce effect: Revenue from online supplement sales up 46.83% for China giant BY-HEALTH
E-commerce business has been brisk for BY-HEALTH in the first half of 2020, with revenue from the channel up 46.83% compared to the same period last year.
Brick-and-mortar purchases remained the major contributor to the company’s dietary supplement sales, occupying 78.58% of the firm’s total revenue in China. Compared to last year, this has dipped by 4.35%.
BY-HEALTH published its financial report for the first six months of 2020 on July 30.
Data bank: China’s most imported vitamins, calcium, probiotics, Q10, glucosamine revealed
Australia’s Blackmores, Swisse, and GNC from the US were China’s most imported health foods brands across a range of top-selling product categories, according to a new report.
The report from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products (CCCMPHIE) analysed customs figures on the key dietary supplements imported and exported out of China last year.
The value of health products that China had imported last year was up 12.8% to US$3.4bn, while export value went up 12.7% to US$1.88bn, the commerce association announced earlier this year.
‘Staying ahead of the curve’: Probiotics firm Beijing Scitop Bio-tech outlines expansion plans amid IPO
Major China probiotics firm Beijing Scitop Bio-Tech is to list publicly on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, with the bulk of the investment received set to be channelled to the construction of a R&D centre.
The company is one of the largest domestic probiotics players in China, with R&D and commercialisation functions across ingredients and finished products.
Founded in 2003, it has commercialised 68 probiotic strains and works closely with the Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, China Agricultural University etc as part of its probiotics R&D process.
