HMOs in infant formulas: From China to Vietnam, see what are firms up to
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) have been the talk of the town in the recent earnings season, with companies like Nestle and The a2 Milk Company highlighting its importance and more companies expected to play in this category across Asia-Pacific.
Nestle’s newly minted CEO Laurent Freixe even said in the company’s FY24 results presentation that the company’s proprietary blend of probiotics and HMOs, commercially sold as “Sinergity” was “one of our big bets” for its infant nutrition business.
Local players are also eyeing for a slice of the market. In Vietnam, leading dairy company Vinamilk launched a formula milk containing six HMOs - said to be the first-of-its-kind in the country last December.
Firms zero in on China’s metabolic health market amid government, GLP-1 interest
Metabolic health is trending in China, fuelled by GLP-1 use and the government earmarking weight management as a priority at this year’s ‘Two Sessions’ legislative meeting.
Some of the companies that have identified metabolic health as an area of focus for their China business at the recent Food Ingredients China (FIC) exhibition in the country were IFF and Probi.
IFF for example highlighted that metabolic health, alongside women’s health and healthy ageing, is one of the three key categories that it is focusing on for its China business this year.
‘Remarkable growth’ in Olive Young sales highlights rising global uptake of K-probiotics, oral care
Korean health food and beauty products, particularly categories such as probiotics and oral care, are increasingly favoured by global consumers, according to Olive Young’s latest online sale results.
The Olive Young Global Mall Sale, which took place from March 1 to 7, saw the total order volume grow by 107 per cent compared to the same period last year.
This has been attributed to the rising awareness of K-beauty and K-health brands, which led to a significant increase in sales of products in these categories.
Concentration, price, then brand: Survey shows omega-3 intake trends in Japan
The concentration of DHA, EPA is the most important consideration among Japanese consumers buying omega-3 supplements, followed by price and brand reputation, based on findings of a new survey involving 1,000 individuals.
The online survey took place between February 19 and 22, and was commissioned by Taiwan-based supplement company Daiken Biomedical.
The firm expanded into Japan in January this year with three products, namely omega-3 and products for supporting sleep and mobility.
Pre-diabetes on the rise in South Korea: Almost half of all adults affected
Pre-diabetes among adults in South Korea soared from 27.1 per cent in 2015 to 46.7 per cent in 2022, according to newly-released nutrition data.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) recently highlighted a worrying trend of rising pre-diabetics and hypertension rates in the country.
It has developed a customised nutrition guide to help individuals control their diet and prevent the onset of diabetes.
