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T H E J O U R N A L F O R H E A LT H Y E AT I N G , F U N C T I O N A L F O O D S & N U T R A C E U T I C A L S

Unilever ties up a Japaneseinnovation for dairy drink

N E W N U T R I T I O N

AUGUST 2005 ISSN 1464-3308VOLUME 10 NUMBER 10

Page 3

www.new–nutrition.com

Governmentsmust back

healthier food9Page 28

Tough times in Japan’sblood pressure

lowering business

Unilever takes itsdaily-dose of fruithealth into the UK

Continues on page 4

July saw Unilever launch its first-everblood pressure lowering product – a 100gdaily-dose dairy drink – onto the Europeanmarket, using as the active ingredientpeptides licensed from Japan’s Calpis Co..

The new product, which has beenlaunched only in Portugal so far, ispositioned under Unilever’s Pro.activbrand, itself a sub-brand within the Beceland Flora umbrellabrands, and hithertoassociated only withcholesterol-lowering.The new Pro.activproduct for blood-pressure carries theclaim on its pack thatits ingredients,peptides, can:Controllar a Tensão

Arterial (Translation:

Control blood pressure).

It’s the first step inwhat is expected to bea Europe-wide roll-outand is likely to beextended to the 22 othercountries where Unilever markets theBecel/Flora Pro.activ brands, such asMexico, Brazil and elsewhere. Blood-pressure lowering daily-dose drinks, basedon peptides, are already marketed inEurope by Finland’s Valio dairy and itspartners in Spain, Portugal, Switzerlandand Iceland.

The active ingredient in the newUnilever product is AmealPeptide, also

known as lactotripeptide, which is Calpis’proprietary ingredient produced by theenzymatic hydrolysis of casein. BecelPro.activ caries Calpis’ AmealPeptideingredient brand prominently on its label.

AmealPeptide has been available in abranded product on the Japanese market,called Ameal S, for people with high bloodpressure, sold by Calpis since 1997. Ameal

S is approved under Japan’s FOSHU (Foodfor Specified Health Use) system. Calpis’Ameal S branded drinks hold a 70% sharein the blood pressure-control category ofFOSHU products. Calpis started marketingAmeal S in a dietary supplement form inNorthern California from 2003, and isplanning a U.S.-wide launch. It has alsoexpanded into internet marketing and iscurrently available nationally through

Drugstore.com.As a result of its licensing agreement

with Unilever, which allows a variety offoods with AmealPeptide to be sold byUnilever in Europe, contract production ofAmealPeptide started in Denmark this May,enabling Calpis to supply Europe, the U.S.and Japan, the company says.

Calpis is projecting that sales toUnilever ofAmealPeptide will be

JPY 1.5 billion ($13.4million/€11.2 million)in the first 12 months.

Calpis says that,“Encouraged by thislatest licensing andmaterial supplyagreement withUnilever, Calpis willcommunicate theimportance of bloodpressure health andaggressively expandits ingredients salesand intellectualproperty business in

the U.S. and Europeand establish the functional ingredientsbusiness to one of its mainstay business.”

With sales of its flagship peptide-basedbrand Ameal S actually falling in Japan –down 20% between 2002 and 2004 – andthe niche blood pressure lowering categoryin Japan in decline (see Case study on page19), Calpis has a strong incentive to findnew markets for Ameal S.

C O N T E N T S & C O N TA C T S2 AUGUST 2005

N E W N U T R I T I O N B U S I N E S Sw w w. n e w - n u t r i t i o n . c o m

LEAD STORY1,4 Unilever ties up a Japanese

innovation for dairy drink business

NEWS ANALYSIS3,4 Unilever takes its daily-dose of fruit

health into the UK

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

5 A fabuless way to weight management

5 Tesco takes on first low-GI chocolatebar

6 London gets sandwiches with a GI twist

6 Dairy adds chilled soy to dairy milk brand

U.S. NEWS7 Dairy’s weight-loss war of words8 Selling the benefits of breakfast runs

into trouble8 Thumbs down for GI marketing

NUTRITION RESEARCH9 Vitamin E does not protect women?9 Dairy to combat contraceptive bone-

loss10 Vitamin D supplements not effective10 Calcium, vitamin D to tackle

monthly blues

11 Dark chocolate may reduce blood pressure, improve insulin resistance

11 Soybean protein may lower blood pressure

12 Adult lifestyles risk for diabetes12 Poly/mono balance important to

cholesterol-lowering diet

SOCIAL & CONSUMERRESEARCH13 Americans believe obesity threat

despite mixed findings13 Many still take vitamin E, even

though it may be ineffective or harmful

EDITORIAL14,15 Japanese lessons to help the west

wise-up

CASE STUDIES16-18 Mars seeks bounty in health19-21 Tough times in Japan’s blood pressure

lowering business22,23 Europe: a burgeoning blood pressure-

lowering market for dairy?24 Smart cereal yet to leave the starting

line?25 Healthy times ahead for oats26,27 Natural cereals make a healthy path

HEALTHCARE COSTS28-30 Government must back healthier

foods to cut healthcare costs say researchers

INTERNATIONAL NEWPRODUCT LAUNCHES31-34 Healthy eating new products in

the US and rest of world

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Benecol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Calpis Co. . . .1,4,14,15,19-23Campina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Danone/Dannon . . . .3,4,7,15DMV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22,23DSM Nutritionals . . . . . . . .23Emmi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Energi Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

General Mills . . . . . .7,8,24,26Heinz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Innocent . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,4,6Iparlat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Kanebo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Kao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Kellogg’s . . . . . . . . . . . . .24,26Kraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Lifeway Foods . . . . . . . . . . . .7Mars Inc. . . . . . . . . . .16,17,18Masterfoods USA . . . . . . . .17McNeil Nutritionals . . . . . . .7Mizkan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20,21Mjolkursamsalan . . . . . . . . .23Nature’s Path . . . . . . . . .26,27New Zealand Dairy Foods . .6

Nippon Milk Community .23PepsiCo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Quaker Oats . . . . . . . . . . . .25Sanitarium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Sara Lee Bakery . . . . . . . . . . .8The Positive Food Company18Unilever .1,3,4,14,15,22,23,28Valio . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,22,23

Vita-Soy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Wendy’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Whole Foods . . . . . . . . .26,27Yakult . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,15,18Yoplait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

N E W S A N A LY S I SAUGUST 2005 3


With sales in the Netherlands andBelgium already double what had been hopedfor, Unilever’s recently-launched Knorr Viebranded 100ml (3.6floz) “little bottle” fruitand vegetable drinks are now going into UKsupermarkets, supported by a multi-milliondollar promotional campaign.

Branded ‘Knorr Vie Shots’ and packagedin bottles of three, consumers have a choicebetween apple-carrot-strawberry, banana-pumpkin-kiwi, and orange-banana-carrot“fruit and vegetable mix[es] in a smoothiestyle”, as Unilever describes the product. Each100ml bottle delivers one portion of therecommended 5-a-day of fruit and vegetables.

Julie Gilroy, Unilever UK Foods businessmanager, says that the product will “introducenew consumers and new usage occasions” tothe UK’s growing one-shot health drinksmarket. She points out that product sales inthe Netherlands and Belgium – where KnorrVie was launched earlier this year (see June2005 New Nutrition Business) – are alreadydouble Unilever’s original projections.

Knorr Vie Shots are priced at £1.89

($3.31/€2.72) for each pack of three 100mlbottles, compared to £1.75 for a 250ml bottleof a fruit smoothie sold under the Innocentbrand, the UK’s market leader, or £1.47 for afour-pack of 100ml probiotic drinkingyoghurts from Danone Actimel, the marketleader in its category in the UK. Put anotherway, Knorr is at a 71% price premium on aper bottle basis compared to probiotic dairydrinks.

Interestingly – and illustrating how verydifferent product pricing can be withinEurope across different countries – the UKretail price for Knorr Vie Shots is around35% higher than the same product retails forin supermarkets in the Netherlands.

Although Knorr Vie is a pasteurised,ambient product with a more than 60 dayshelf life it is positioned in the supermarketchiller cabinet next to single serve and takehome branded and own brand fresh juicesand smoothies.

The Vie Shots label reminds shoppersthat: “UK health experts recommend that weeat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetablesevery day, yet many of us only eat 3.” AndKnorr is described on the label as: “An easyway to boost your intake and help you on yourway to at least 5-a-day!” However, it iscurious that Vie Shots packaging andliterature – unlike other Unilever health-

oriented products – omit mention ofconsumption “as part of a healthy, balanceddiet.”

Unilever’s commitment to the Vie Shots isunderlined by its upcoming marketingcampaign to support the launch. With abudget of £6 million ($10.5 million/€8.6million), the campaign includes nationwidesampling of over two million bottles plus TVadvertising during August and September.The launch will also be backed up with“major” in-store and outdoor activity, and PR.

Knorr Vie Shots are the second productline in three years to appear on the UKmarket under Unilever’s Knorr Vie brand.Knorr Vie Shots follow Vie vegetable soupsinto British supermarkets, which were alsoinitially marketed as a way to help UKconsumers make up one of theirrecommended ‘5-a-day’.

Unlike Knorr Vie Soups, Knorr Vie Shotsare low in salt and saturated fat – Unileverseems to have learned from its experience withits soups, when a few months after theproduct’s debut on the market in 2002, theUK’s Advertising Standards Authority ruledthat the soup contained too much salt tojustify being advertised as being equivalent tofresh vegetables in a person’s diet (see box).

Although Knorr is Unilever’s best known

Unilever takes its daily-doseof fruit health into the UK

Continued on page 4

By Margaret Foley

KNORR VIE SHOTS ON-PACK INFORMATION

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

A delicious blend of apple, carrot andstrawberry concentrated juices and purées.

INGREDIENTS:

Apple purée (30%), Carrot Juice Concentrate(29%),Apple Juice Concentrate (26%),Strawberries (8%), Orange Pulp, AcerolaCherry Concentrate (1.5%), Lemon JuiceConcentrate, Apple Pectin.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

Typical Values Per 100ml:

Energy 273kJ (63 kcal)

Protein 1.0g

Carbohydrate 13.6g

Of which sugars 12.6g

Fat 0.5g

Of which saturates 0.1g

Fibre 1.5g

Sodium 0.03g

Salt (Based on sodium) 0.08g

Vitamin C 30mg (50% RDA)

As a footnote Peptides are stable chemicalbonds of amino-acids. Two amino-acidsbound together are called a di-peptide, threebound together are called a tri-peptide, and soon. In our body peptides are produced bybreaking down protein from food. Theproteins we eat every day are calledpolypeptides and are too big to be absorbed bythe body directly. Our body has to break theproteins down into single amino-acids or intodi-peptides or tri-peptides – the only way it canabsorb them. The extent to which peptides canbe absorbed and whether they are releasedinto the bloodstream remains a matter ofscientific debate, but peptides have beendemonstrated to have a number of healthbenefits, including reducing blood pressure,reducing blood sugar levels, increasing satiety,increasing immune function, increasingrecovery time after exercise.

See page 19 for a detailed Case Study on Calpis Ameal

S and Japan’s market for blood pressure-lowering

products.

See page 22 for Case Study on the European market for

blood pressure-lowering products.

See Editorial on page 15

N E W S A N A LY S I S4 AUGUST 2005


and number one food brand internationally,with annual sales of around €3 billion ($3.6billion), its UK presence is usually described asthat of “a sleeping giant” that “must tryharder”. To date, the Knorr Vie soup brandhas performed disappointingly for Unilever inthe UK. In 2004, the sales value of Vie soupsactually fell by over 30% to £2.2 million ($3.8million/€3.1 million) – by comparison, UK

soup market leader Heinz had £126.5 million($221.7 million/€182.2 million) in sales.

With the introduction of Knorr Vie Shots,Unilever has seized the opportunity to turnKnorr into an innovative leading brandsynonymous with health – and specifically the5-a-day message, and almost certainlyUnilever has ambitions to make the categoryits own, much as the company has done with

its Pro.activ product lines and the cholesterol-lowering category.

The product has been launched at a timewhen the average UK household hasincreased its weekly consumption of fruit,while simultaneously decreasing its weeklyvegetable consumption. The increase in fruitconsumption is attributed to the fact that fruitjuice is included in the ‘fruit’ category. Thecombination of fruit and vegetables in VieShots may appeal to consumers who eat both,and to those that prefer fruit to vegetables andso would see this product as a means of‘killing two birds with one stone’. However,according to the ingredient listing (see below)vegetables seem to make up less than a thirdof the volume of the product.

Consumer acceptance of Vie Shots islikely to benefit from the last ten years of workdone by companies like Danone, Yakult andInnocent in creating new categories likesingle-serve smoothies and daily-dose dairydrinks and in making an innovative packagingconcept like the 100ml bottle one that isfamiliar to most consumers and one that isseen to “stand for health.”

If Unilever has its strategy right, thenKnorr Vie Shots could become a famoussuccess and an endorsement of theimportance of true innovation. If thecompany has it wrong, then this could turnout to be just another case of ç’est la Vie.

Continued from front page

Continued from page 3

COMMENT

Consumers in Europe might be forgiven for beingconfused by Unilever’s latest brand extension, whichcarries a health claim that it can reduce bloodpressure. Branded Pro.activ, it signals that Unilever –averse to new brands – seems to have decided tomake its Becel Pro.activ and Flora Pro.activ brandsthe umbrella for all its functional dairy efforts.

Unilever has sold polysunsaturated spreads under theFlora brand in some countries and the Becel brand inothers since the 1960s. In 1998 the brand wasextended with the addition of Becel/Flora Pro.activcholesterol-lowering spreads and in 2004 thecompany added to its cholesterol-lowering offeringmilks, yoghurts and 100g daily-dose dairy drinks.

Unilever has also invested hundreds of millions ofdollars since 1998 in building a very strongassociation between the Becel/Flora Pro.activ brandname and the concept of cholesterol-lowering. Ittherefore seems curious to introduce a completelynew and different health benefit under the samebrand. Only the colour of the pack – blue for theblood-pressure lowering drink, green for thecholesterol-lowering one – and on the on-pack claimdiffer between the two products, which appear toeven have the exact same brand name. PerhapsUnilever believes that the credibility of the brand inconnection with cholesterol-lowering will readilycarry through to other health areas.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L N E W SAUGUST 2005 5


The UK’s first low-glycemic index (GI)chocolate snack bar went on-shelf in Tescostores last month. Its performance will beclosely watched by the many mainstreamchocolate confectionery companies whoseexisting chocolate bars have been testedand found to be low-GI.

Branded Gi Sense, the bar is marketedby a privately-held eight year-old sportsnutrition and supplements company calledBio-synergy, based in west London. Thecompany already markets sports products –though not ones with a GI message - thathave been endorsed and are used by anumber of sports organizations and teams,such as the World Boxing Federation,Newcastle and Liverpool soccer clubs,Williams Formula 1 racing and singer

Robbie Williams.Bio-synergy says that its Gi Sense bar

has a GI score of 30 – below 55 isconsidered to be “low-GI”. The product isthe first chocolate bar to be specificallymarketed in the UK as low-GI. In twoflavours, Chocolate & Caramel andChocolate & Hazelnut, each 58g Gi Sensehas a recommended retail price of £1.65($2.91/€2.39 ).

In its communications for Gi Sense thecompany says the bar helps with, “avoidingthe need to snack”, it also “lowers insulinlevels and burns fat at a higher rate,making it a great chocolate alternative forthose looking to shed a few pounds.”Claims of fat-burning are certainly new fora low-GI product.

Tesco takes on first low-GI chocolate bar

A fabuless way to weight managementA clinically proven ingredient that

induces feeling of satiety has made its firstappearance on the European market since2000.

Olibra, now marketed by DSMNutritionals under the brand nameFabuless, is the active ingredient in ayoghurt marketed in Italy by LatteriaMerano under the name Action Caloriecontrol.

The ingredient, which was developedand is manufactured by Karlshamn,Sweden-based Lipid Technologies Provider(LTP) is a patent-protected fraction ofpalm and oat oils – food lipids that arealready present in the food supply –formulated into a novel emulsion, whichhas been clinically proven to create andmaintain a feeling of satiety and can give a20%-30% reduction in calorie intake inmeals following its consumption.

LTP is a company that develops andcommercializes lipid-based formulationsand products for functional food, healthcare, drug delivery and skin care andOlibra is LTP’s lead product. Olibra isdesigned to help people to control theirfood intake and maintain a healthy weightwhile still eating a normal diet. WhenOlibra is eaten together with a normalmeal the effect is a reduced caloric intakeat subsequent meal and decreased snacking.Olibra works by going swiftly to the smallintestine where it activates the body’snormal appetite control system, leaving afeeling of fullness that lasts for three to six

hours. The effect of Olibra has beenverified in several placebo-controlled,double blind studies, four of which havebeen published in peer-reviewed journals.

Olibra can be incorporated into manyfoods, including yoghurt and milk drinks,which the company sees as being the mostactive areas.

LTP was originally a unit of the nowdefunct Scotia pharmaceutical group – acompany which foundered some four yearsago when its drug development programmeturned out to be less promising than hadbeen hoped. Initially supported by Swedishinvestors, two years ago DSM made afinancial investment in the companythrough DSM Venturing.

Now the Functional Food Ingredientbusiness unit of DSM Food Specialties is toexclusively market Olibra, as Fabuless tothe dairy industry worldwide.

DSM says that in connection withFabuless it has conducted a wide range ofconsumer focus groups in the US andEurope to assist the company and itscustomers’ to benefit from a closeunderstanding of the real issues involved inweight management. A significant findingwas the requirement to offer tasty andnutritious products that would naturallyhelp reduce food intake – but have a longterm benefit too.

Earlier this year LTP licensed Olibra toGNC, the largest US dietary supplementretailer, for use in its Total Lean weightmanagement brand.

A PROVEN WEIGHT-MANAGEMENTINGREDIENT

Fabuless has already been used in a dairyproduct marketed on an appetite-suppressing platform.

It first appeared in a food product in early1998 when Sweden’s Skåne Dairy launchedits Maval yoghurt in Sweden and later theUK. Maval sold well at first, despite a 100%premium to regular yoghurts and was only

eventually withdrawn because Skåne failed toinvest in brand-building. Maval carried thefollowing claim on its label:

There is a small yet significant differencebetween Maval and normal yoghurt. Mavalcontains Olibra, a totally new vegetable oilmade from palm oil.What is unique aboutOlibra is its ability to act as an appetitesuppressant.With Maval you feel full forlonger without taking in extra calories,making it easier to hold out until dinner.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L N E W S6 AUGUST 2005

London gets sandwiches with a GI twistLondoners have an alternative way to

get their midday energy boost with theopening of the city’s first low glycemic index(GI) sandwich bar.

Called Energi Box, the store is thebrainchild of 27-year-old Viki Cornish, aformer investment banker, who told New

Nutrition Business that she founded hercompany, Energi Foods, to tackle thescourge of convenience foods that leaveconsumers sapped of energy before the dayis over.

Energi Box stocks not only sandwichesbut also salads, pasta, soups, porridge andbeverages – all rated as low GI – and soldwith the tag line “Energi Box does themaths, you do the munching”. To help getits message out the company’s website(www.energibox.com) gives an entertainingoverview of just what GI is all about –likening it to the classic tale of the tortoiseand the hare.

“The response [to Energibox] has beenreally positive,” an enthusiastic Cornishexplains, “I get 10-20 emails a day fromcustomers saying thank god you’ve opened.”

There is still much debate aboutwhether low GI foods have an impact on thehealth of the average consumer. Energiboxwants to dispel the idea that low GI foodsare just for dieters: “Our products give

customers sustained energy over longerhours – it’s just a healthier way of living. Wedon’t use dressings in our sandwiches, just abit of olive oil. We want the freshness tocome through not be disguised with amouthful of mayo.”

Best-selling items are, at breakfast time,porridge made with jumbo oats and atlunchtime the turkey torpedo roll. The sub-style sandwich is a combination of leanturkey breast with green pesto, spinach,freshly ground pepper and sandwich pickle.

“It might sound like a weirdcombination but they are going really well.”

The sandwiches sell between £2 and £3each – a slight premium to much ofLondon’s lunchtime market, but comparablewith the offerings of upscale “all-natural”chains, such as McDonald’s-owned Prêt à

Manger. Other items finding favour are thecrayfish and rocket sandwich, freshpomegranate juice and lentil croquettes.

“We support local businesses and arealways careful with what we sell or put inour foods. Everything from the bread to thebeans is checked for their GI rating. Westock Innocent Smoothies as they’re GItested and the pomegranate juice, like us, isendorsed by Heart UK.”

The company is advised by Dr AnthonyLeads, a nutritionist specializing in GI, andapproved by Heart UK, the cholesterolcharity.

Cornish hopes to open a second store inLondon’s west end and has recently begunmaking deliveries and offering a platterservice to local businesses. She is also in aconstant search for other delicious low GIproducts to add to the menu.

While the debate about the merits of GIrages on, EnergiBox may continue to be aniche product in the highly lucrativeconvenience food industry. Whether itbreaks into the mainstream will only be seenwith time.

New Zealand’s largest producer of milk,butter and cheese has gone non-dairy with thelaunch of the Anchor Soylife brand ofrefrigerated soy milk, the first product of itskind on the New Zealand market.

The eighth sub-brand in its Anchor milkbrand line up, New Zealand Dairy Foods(NZDF) Anchor Soylife is targeting consumerswho are lactose intolerant or want analternative to dairy.

In keeping with the Anchor brand’s freshmilk identity, Soylife is found in the chillercabinet and packaged in a white one litre plasticbottle that mimics the packaging of fresh cow’smilk products. It has a 20-day shelf-life. NZDFaims to move consumers away from theambient aisle, where UHT soy milk is marketedunder the market-leading Sanitarium andVitasoy brands.

The New Zealand market for soy basedmilk products is still in its infancy. In a countryof over four million people the soy based milk

market is worth NZ$15 million ($10.2million/€8.3 million) in the grocery channel. In

a market that is entirely ambient Soylife is New Zealand’s first chilled soy. In

Australia, fresh chilled soy milk already

accounts for 60% of the soy market.Andrew Powrie, Anchor’s marketing

director of milk brands, told New Nutrition

Business it was a strategic move to keep Soylife aspart of the company’s fresh milk range: “it’s thesame quality as our standard milk. Providing afresh alternative to dairy means, for ourconsumers, there is less of a sacrifice forhealth.”

Soylife’s launch has been supported by in-store samplings and an infomercial onprimetime television.

“A lot of our marketing has been targetedat people of Asian and Pacific origin who havea high instance of lactose intolerance,” explainsPowrie. “As a milk provider we give ourconsumers a range of choices.”

Soylife is fortified with calcium phosphateand is priced below existing UHT brands.Pricewise the new brand is positioned about8%-10% below the market leading VitaSoy andSanitarium ambient brands.


By Marc Checkley

Dairy adds chilled soy to dairy milk

For any readers who’d like to try it out,EnergiBox is located at 5 Philpot Lane EC3 inLondon’s financial district and open Mondaythrough Friday, from 6.45am – 3.15pm.

U . S . N E W SAUGUST 2005 7

Dairy’s weight-loss war of words

The dairy industry and a cadre ofvegetarian activists can’t be expected to seeeye-to-eye on the value of dairy products.But the American dairy industry’s boldmarketing campaign linking dairyconsumption to weight management hasprompted the contrary group PhysiciansCommittee for Responsible Medicine to firea legal shot or two across its bow.

Dairy-industry trade groups andinternational food giants such as Kraft havebeen gaining some traction over the last yearwith advertising and other promotionalefforts that give dairy a helpful role inweight-loss regimens. It’s the latest effort byU.S. dairy interests to fight the decline oftheir industry over recent decades. Andbecause it may be the most clever, thecampaign also may become the mosteffective.

“It’s not a slam dunk, because the idea oflosing weight while consuming significantamounts of those [dairy] products iscounterintuitive,” says Gene Grabowski,vice-president of Levick StrategicCommunications, a Washington, D.C.-basedmarketing-consulting firm, and a formerexecutive of the Grocery Manufacturers ofAmerica. “But other counterintuitive effortshave worked; look at how the Atkins Dietwas counterintuitive. If enough marketingmuscle is put behind it, it’ll work.”

Unfortunately, the Physicians Committeebelieves, that well may be the case. So theWashington-based activist group has filedtwo lawsuits in Virginia on behalf of aresident whom the group claims actuallygained weight while following the dairyindustry’s weight-loss recommendations. Theaction followed the committee’s filing ofpetitions earlier this year with both the FDAand the Federal Trade Commission callingfor a halt to the dairy weight-loss campaign.

The physicians group included Kraft,General Mills, Dannon, the InternatioanlDairy Foods Association, the National DairyCouncil, Dairy Management Inc., andMcNeil Nutritionals, the maker of Lactaidlow-lactose milk, as well as Lifeway Foods, akefir manufacturer, in the suits.

“To stem declining sales and boost theirbottom line, the dairy industry is dupingoverweight Americans into believing thatmilk and other dairy are the magic bullet toweight control,” says Dan Kinburn, PCRM’ssenior legal counsel.

But the dairy industry says that its critics

amount to “the usual suspects,” in the wordsof Stephanie Smith, a spokeswoman for theNational Dairy Council. She also notes thatthe dairy industry doesn’t claim weight-lossbenefits from a diet that’s heavy on dairyproducts such as butter and sour cream.

“The important thing for us is that we’vegot science on our side with this. When thescience is explained and the effect isexplained, it’s clear that we’re not talkingabout an overwhelming amount of dairy butabout correcting an inadequacy in the diet.”

The two sides dispute the validity of thestudies used by the dairy industry tosubstantiate its weight-loss claim. But Smithsays that dairy interests are “anticipatinganother clinical trial soon that will confirmthe connection between dairy and weightloss.”

At the same time, the PhysiciansCommittee concedes that the dairy-and-weight-loss connection is catching on withmany consumers because of the dairyindustry’s marketing and public-educationefforts. “Even people who haven’t boughtinto it are considering that their assertionsmight be the case,” says Amy Lanou, seniornutrition scientist for the group. “Theirmessage is getting out there. Everybody’sheard it.”


3-A-DAY: WEIGHT LOSS THE DAIRY WAY

In 2003 the U.S. National Dairy Council launched its “Healthy Weight with Dairy” campaign, alsoknown as the “3-a-Day” plan.The campaign built on published studies showing that the inclusionof three servings of dairy products as part of a reduced-calorie diet can help adults lose weightand burn more fat in the abdominal region.The research on which the claims are made wasmainly conducted by Dr. Michael Zemel, a nutrition professor at the University of Tennessee.

The “3-A-Day Milk Cheese Yogurt – Burn more fat, lose weight” logo began appearing on dairypackages in supermarkets in 2004, including products from Kraft and milk bottles sold by fast-food-chain Wendy’s 2%.

TV commercials have touted the 3-A-Day programme on a variety of popular programmes onnetwork and cable television. Full-page “More Yummy … Less Tummy” advertisements haveappeared in a variety of general interest, epicurean, women’s health and shelter magazines as wellas point-of-sale materials in supermarkets.

The Yoplait brand of yoghurt is an example of one that has capitalized on the research, runningTV ads linking consuming Yoplait Light with weight-loss following a study published earlier thisyear (Zemel MB et al, International Journal of Obesity, April 2005) which found that people whoincluded Yoplait Light as part of their weight-loss plan lost significantly more weight compared toothers who simply reduced calories.The yoghurt eaters lost 22% more weight – an average of14 pounds, 66% more body fat and 81% more stomach fat during the 12-week study.

The Yoplait Light group consumed about 1,100mg of calcium each day, which included threeservings of Yoplait Light yoghurt.The control group consumed a low calcium diet with only oneserving of dairy per day, a reflection of the typical American diet, which is low in calcium; morethan 85% of people in the U.S. do not eat the minimum recommended three servings of dairyfoods per day.

By Dale Buss

The 3-a-day of dairy logo has begun to appear on anincreasing number of products on the U.S.market, suchas McNeil Nutritionals’ highly-successful Lactaid brandof low-lactose milk (see above).

General Mills has taken a number of stepsrecently to press the marketing advantages thathave become apparent from the whole-graincontent of its cereals, including last year’sswitch of all of its cold-cereal lineup to whole-grains. But now, some other food companiesand outside critics believe that theMinneapolis-based giant is going too far.

The company has petitioned the U.S. Foodand Drug Administration to allow food makersto go beyond the years-old, FDA-approvedhealth claim concerning the nutritional benefitsof whole-grain. General Mills would like thegovernment to sanction a packaging claim thatdifferentiates between an “excellent” source ofwhole-grains, those with more than 16 gramsper serving, and the 8g to 15g per serving thatwould qualify as a “good” source of whole-grains. The company is already using thosedistinctions on the labeling of its Big G cereals.

The problem – for others – is that GeneralMills’ scheme would favour cereals andcrackers over foods like bread and pasta whosewater content makes them unlikely to meetwhat even General Mills says are highstandards.

“The petition stacks the deck toward onefood group,” Bill Nictakis, president of theSara Lee Bakery Group’s U.S. fresh-breadbusiness, told the Associated Press. “If we setthe bar too high, we will have less ability to tellthe public about whole-grains.”

Independent observers come down onboth sides of the argument. “Anything that is

perceived to help people make smart foodchoices has an advantage,” says GeneGrabowski, vice-president of Levick StrategicCommunications, a Washington, D.C.-basedfirm that counsels many food companies, and aformer executive of the GroceryManufacturers of America, a trade groupwhose members include makers of cereals andbreads.

“I think the FDA will do what it can tohelp that process. There will be lobbying fromboth sides, but anything that will helpconsumers make smart food choices – or beperceived as doing that – will be pursued.”

On the other hand, Jonathan Emord, anattorney who represents many food companiesin their efforts to gain FDA approval of health-claim petitions, would like to see General Mills’efforts fail.

“I’m not sure people will make theirpurchasing decisions based on ‘excellent’ or‘good’ characterizations of the whole-graincontent,” says the head of Emord & Associates,based in Reston, Va. “The government shouldjust demand disclosure on the packaging of thecontent amount [of whole-grains] only. Itshouldn’t define quantitative amounts andassociate them with ‘excellent’ or ‘good.’ It’s anarbitrary dividing line in the first place, and itinvites this kind of bickering betweencompanies in an effort to jockey for greatermarket share” of the grocery business.

For its part, General Mills doesn’t concedethat it is trying to stack the deck in favour of

dry cereals compared with other grain-basedfoods. And a spokeswoman notes that thecompany also sells breads and other products,besides its cereals, that would qualify as“excellent” sources of whole-grains.

“In addition to cereal, we’ve reformulatedbread products, granola bars and our entireline of full-size pancakes to be a good orexcellent source of whole-grain,” says MaryBeth Thorsgaard, a General Millsspokeswoman.

The stakes in this battle are large because,while whole-grains have been front and centerin nutritional marketing over the last year,many American consumers still don’tunderstand their significant health benefits orhow best to access them. The recently revisedU.S. dietary guidelines and food pyramid placea bigger-than-ever emphasis on whole-grainsconsumption, which is a help. And the fadingof the low-carbohydrate dieting boom – whichdiscriminated against cereals, breads, pasta andother carb-laden foods – has made for a morecomfortable marketplace for these companies.

“It’s probably one of the most crucialissues facing whole-grains,” Len Marquart, anassistant professor of food science and nutritionat the University of Minnesota, told theAssociated Press. “Until we can provide[whole-grain foods] with seals, logos, insignias,we can’t educate, we can’t market. We can’t sellwhole-grains unless we can identify whatwhole-grains [people] are consuming.”

U . S . N E W S8 JULY 2005


Selling the benefits of breakfast runs into trouble

Thumbs-down for GI marketingThe interest in marketing foods for their

low GI or low GL qualities that’s gatheringsteam in the US food and beverage industrywill have to stay on the back-burner for now,following a blunt reminder by the Grain FoodsFoundation of the lack of support for theconcept in the academic community. GImarketing by industry is, a Foundationspokesperson said, “the tail wagging the dog”.

A statement issued by the Grain FoodsFoundation following a recent review of theliterature on GI and GL says that, “The utilityof the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load(GL) with regard to health and weight control isoverstated and simply not backed by a fairamount of the published research. In fact,most of the large-scale population studies fail toshow any link between Glycemic Index orGlycemic Load and diseases such as diabetesand cancer.”

It continues: “For body weight in particular,some of the data actually shows the opposite of

the popular hypothesis: high-GlycemicIndex/Load may be better for weight control.At the very least, no major Americanhealth/medical organization has endorsed theuse of Glycemic Index or Glycemic Loadbecause the science is not strong enough tosupport their use.”

Without endorsement from any influentialbodies within the nutrition science communityin the US, American manufacturers areunlikely to take a strong position incommunicating the GI of their foods – unlikemany other countries. In the UK, for example,Tesco, the largest grocery chain, has GI-labelled most of its own-label foods.

“GI is problematic - a lot of very healthyfoods have a high GI, such as water melon,”Dr. Glenn Gaesser, co-chair of Grain FoodFoundation’s clinical advisory board, and aprofessor at the University of Virginia, told New

Nutrition Business. “But water melon has a highlevel of antioxidants – its nutrient value is quite

healthy. Even when you look at GL theevidence is not at all clear-cut. There are othernutrition markers that are far more compellingthan GI and GL. Fibre rich foods, of whichwhole grains are an integral part, are inparticular associated with positive healthoutcomes – including lower risks of heartdisease, of diabetes and many otherconditions.”

“I don’t want to say it’s worthless,” addedDr. Gaesser, “but at a population level as publichealth recommendation its value is overstated.To use GI as a marker of a good food or a badfood is not sound science.”

While Dr. Gaesser concedes that low-GImay be useful for some groups, such asdiabetics trying to manage their blood-sugar(and it is used as such a tool by the AustralianDiabetes Association), he is clear that within thescientific community in the US the dietaryadvice will remain firmly focused on “balanceddiet”

N U T R I T I O N R E S E A R C HAUGUST 2005 9

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OAT BRAN HELPS CARDIOVASCULARHEALTH IN WOMENResults of a new study from Quebecsuggest that oat bran-rich foods have abeneficial effect on the metabolic profileof overweight women. Following a two-week run-in phase, 34 premenopausalwomen aged 22-53 were randomlyassigned either to the control group (nosupplement) or to the treatment group,which received two oat bran-enrichedmuffins per day (28g/day of oat bran)during four weeks. Supplementation withoat bran had a beneficial effect onplasma HDL-C levels. Indeed, comparedto the control group, a mean increase inplasma HDL-C levels of 11.2% wasobserved in women eating the oat bransupplement, whereas the totalcholesterol/HDL-C ratio decreased by7.0%. Results were similar in spite of age,apo E genotype and weight change.“Integration of these foods as part of ahealthy diet may, therefore, improve thecardiovascular risk profile of women,”conclude the study authors.

Julie Robitaille et al, Annals of Nutrition andMetabolism 2005;49:141-148.

PROTEIN AND EXERCISE “ADD UP”FOR WEIGHT-LOSSA diet with higher protein and reducedcarbohydrates combined with exerciseadditively improved body compositionduring weight-loss in a study of 48women.The study examined theinteraction of two diets (high protein,reduced carbohydrates vs. low protein,high carbohydrates) with exercise onbody composition and blood lipids inwomen during weight-loss. Diets wereequal in total energy (7.1 MJ/d) and lipids(30% energy intake) but differed inprotein content and the ratio ofcarbohydrate:protein at 1.6g/(kg/d) and<1.5 (PRO group) vs. 0.8g/(kg/d) and>3.5 (CHO group), respectively. Exercisecomparisons were lifestyle activity(control) vs. a supervised exerciseprogramme (EX: five days/week walkingand two days/week resistance training).Subjects in the PRO and PRO + EXgroups lost more total weight and fatmass and tended to lose less lean massthan the CHO and CHO + EX groups.Exercise increased loss of body fat andpreserved lean mass.The combinedeffects of diet and exercise were additivefor improving body composition. Serum

Continued on page 10

Vitamin E does not protect women?

Consuming dairy products could helpprevent bone loss associated with oralcontraceptive use, say Purdue Universityresearchers.

In their study of women using oralcontraceptives, consuming dairy productscontaining at least 1000mg per day of calciumprevented hip and spine bone loss associatedwith the contraceptives. Some 80% of womenhave used oral contraceptives, but they mayprevent women from reaching peak bone massand increase their risk of osteoporosis.

In this year-long study, 154 women (aged18-30 years old) were assigned to one of threegroups: control (<800mg calcium/day),medium dairy (1000-1100mg calcium/day),high dairy (1200-1300mg calcium/day). In allthree, oral contraceptive users were comparedto non-users.

At the end of the year, women using oral

contraceptives and following the medium orhigh dairy diet had significantly higher bonemineral density in their hips and spines,compared to the low dairy group. Oralcontraceptive users consuming low calciumdiets were more susceptible to bone loss thannon-users.

“The results of our study suggest it is veryimportant that young women taking oralcontraceptives get the recommended level ofcalcium in order to optimize the developmentof bone,” said Dorothy Teegarden, Ph.D.,associate professor of foods and nutrition atPurdue. The authors note that women usingoral contraceptives could reduce their risk ofosteoporosis by approximately 3-10% over oneyear by consuming adequate dairy foods.

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism,

July 2005.

Vitamin E supplements do not protecthealthy women against heart attacks and stroke,according to new results from the Women'sHealth Study, a long-term clinical trial of theeffect of vitamin E and aspirin on both theprevention of cardiovascular disease and ofcancer. However, the news isn’t all bad – inwomen aged 65 and over the vitamin didreduce heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths.

In addition to the CVD findings, theauthors report that there was no effect ofvitamin E on total cancer or on the mostcommon cancers in women – breast, lung, andcolon cancers. The Women’s Health Study wasfunded by the National Heart, Lung, and BloodInstitute (NHLBI) and the National CancerInstitute of the National Institutes of Health.

“We can now say that despite their initialpromise, vitamin E supplements do not preventheart attack and stroke. Instead, women shouldfocus on well proven means of heart diseaseprevention, including leading a healthy lifestyleand controlling risk factors such as high bloodpressure and high cholesterol,” said NHLBIDirector Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D.

The Women’s Health Study included39,876 healthy women age 45 years and olderwho were randomly assigned to receive 600 IUof vitamin E or placebo and low-dose aspirinor placebo on alternate days. The participantswere followed for an average of 10.1 years.

Participants were monitored for majorevents – a combination of nonfatal heartattack, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death.By the end of the study, participants in thevitamin E group had 482 such eventscompared to 517 in the placebo group.

However, this difference was not statisticallydifferent.

For the individual cardiovascular events,the study findings were:• Nonfatal heart attacks: 184 in the vitamin E

group versus 181 in the placebo group – nota statistically significant difference.

• Nonfatal strokes: 220 in the vitamin E groupversus 222 in the placebo group – notstatistically significant.

Researchers found no significant effect ofvitamin E on total deaths (all causes). But therewas a 24% reduction in CVD deaths among allwomen taking the vitamin (106 in the vitaminE group versus 140 in the placebo group). Inanother positive finding, women 65 and oldertaking vitamin E had a 26% decrease in heartattacks and CVD deaths, but not strokes.

While these “intriguing” findings deservedfurther study, said lead investigator I-Min Lee,MBBS, ScD of Brigham and Women’sHospital, “at present we cannot recommendvitamin E for prevention against cardiovasculardisease or cancer.

The study finding of a decrease in majorcardiovascular events among women age 65years and older is unique”, added Dr. Lee.“Almost all previous trials have not reportedfindings by age. If other current trials provideage-related results, these additional data willhelp clarify the Women’s Health Study resultsof benefit among the women aged 65 years andolder.” An estimated 13.5% of women in theU.S. take vitamin E supplements.

Journal of the American Medical Association, July 6

2005.


Dairy to combat contraceptive bone-loss

N U T R I T I O N R E S E A R C H10 AUGUST 2005

NEWS DIGEST

lipid profiles improved in all groups, butchanges varied among diet treatments.Subjects in the CHO groups had largerreductions in total cholesterol and LDLcholesterol, whereas subjects in the PROgroups had greater reductions intriacylglycerol and maintained higherconcentrations of HDL cholesterol.

Donald K. Layman et al, Journal ofNutrition, August 2005.

GRAPE POLYPHENOLS HAVECARDIOPROTECTIVE EFFECT INWOMENConsuming a grape powder beneficiallyaffected key risk factors for coronaryheart disease in both pre- andpostmenopausal women in a study byColumbia University, New York, and theUniversity of Connecticut.The powders’benefits came from alterations inlipoprotein metabolism, oxidative stress,and inflammatory markers. In the study24 pre- and 20 postmenopausal womenwere randomly assigned to consume 36gof a lyophilized grape powder (LGP) or aplacebo for four weeks.The LGPconsisted of 92% carbohydrate and wasrich in flavans, anthocyanins, quercetin,myricetin, kaempferol, and resveratrol.After a three week washout period,subjects were assigned to the alternatetreatment for an additional four weeks.Plasma triglyceride concentrations werereduced by 15% and 6% in pre- andpostmenopausal women, respectivelyafter LGP supplementation. In addition,plasma LDL cholesterol andapolipoproteins B and E were lower dueto LGP treatment. Further, cholesterolester transfer protein activity wasdecreased by 15% with intake of LGP. Incontrast to these beneficial effects onplasma lipids, LDL oxidation was notmodified by LGP treatment. However,whole-body oxidative stress as measuredby urinary F2-isoprostanes wassignificantly reduced after LGPsupplementation. LGP also decreased thelevels of plasma tumour necrosis factor-α , which plays a major role in theinflammation process.

Tosca L. Zern et al, Journal of Nutrition,August 2005.

ADDING MILK TO TEA IS OKGood news for milky-tea lovers – addingmilk has no effect on the antioxidant

A diet rich in calcium and vitamin Dmay lower the risk of developingpremenstrual syndrome (PMS), accordingto a study involving 3,000 women.

The study, funded by GlaxoSmithKline,which makes Tums and Oc-Calsupplements, compared the diets andsupplement use of 1,057 women aged 27 to44 years who reported developing PMSover the course of 10 years to 1,968 womenwho reported no diagnosis of PMS or no orminimal premenstrual symptoms in thesame time period.

“We observed a significantly lower riskof developing PMS in women with highintakes of vitamin D and calcium from foodsources, equivalent to about four servingsper day of skim or low-fat milk, fortifiedorange juice or low-fat dairy foods such asyoghurt,” the authors write. “These dietaryintakes correspond to approximately1,200mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitaminD from food sources. While previous studieshave observed the benefits of calcium

supplements for treating PMS, this is thefirst, to our knowledge, to suggest thatcalcium and vitamin D may help preventthe initial development of PMS.”

“Our findings, together with those fromseveral small randomized trials that foundcalcium supplements to be effective intreating PMS, suggest that a high intake ofcalcium and vitamin D may reduce the riskof PMS,” the authors conclude. “Clinicaltrials of this issue are warranted. In theinterim, given that calcium and vitamin Dmay also reduce risk of osteoporosis andsome cancers, clinicians may considerrecommending these nutrients even foryounger women.”

While most women may experiencemild emotional or physical premenstrualsymptoms, as many as eight to 20% ofwomen experience symptoms severeenough to meet the definition ofpremenstrual syndrome.

Archives of Internal Medicine, June 13 2005.Continued on page 11


Vitamin D supplements not effectiveVitamin D supplementation did not

appear to prevent bone loss inpostmenopausal black women, according to anew study.

Although there is general agreement onthe optimal calcium intake recommended forreducing postmenopausal bone loss, and it isrecognized that vitamin D is important incalcium maintenance, the optimal intake ofvitamin D is controversial. Blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) are the bestindicator of vitamin D status, with very lowlevels leading to rickets and osteomalacia(softening of bones). Black women have lowerblood levels of 25-OHD because theysynthesize less through skin exposure to thesun.

John F. Aloia, M.D., from WinthropUniversity Hospital, Mineola, N.Y., andcolleagues, conducted a randomized, double-blind trial comparing bone loss in 208postmenopausal black women taking vitaminD3 supplements and those not takingsupplements. The healthy black women, aged50 to 75 years, received either placebo or 20micrograms per day of vitamin D3. Allparticipants received calcium supplements toensure a total calcium intake of 1,200 to1,500mg/day. After two years, the vitamin D3

dose was raised to 50ìg/day.The researchers found that there was no

significant difference in BMD in womenreceiving vitamin D and women receivingplacebo. There was also no relationship foundbetween 25-OHD blood levels and bonedensity change in either group. Both groupsexperienced an increase in BMD in total body,hip, and mid-radius (forearm bone) at oneyear (between 1.1 and 1.3%). However, BMDdeclined at these sites over the full three yearsfrom 0.26% to 0.55%. Initial total hip BMDranged from normal (65%) to osteopenic(having reduced bone mass; 33.6%) toosteoporotic (severely reduced bone mass,1.4%).

“Our study demonstrated a lack of benefitof vitamin D supplementation on loss ofskeletal mass in calcium-sufficient AfricanAmerican women in midlife,” the researchersreport. “Although this may not be extrapolatedto women of other ethnic groups, to elderlywomen, or to greater degrees of vitamin Dinsufficiency, it lends support to re-examination of optimal vitamin D nutritionfor skeletal health in postmenopausal womenof other ethnic groups.”

Archives of Internal Medicine 2005.


Calcium, vitamin D to tacklemonthly blues

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Continued on page 12



benefits of black tea.Tea is a polyphenol-rich beverage, like wine, and catechinsare its chief polyphenols. Catechins havecardio-protective effects as they canscavenge free radicals and inhibit lipidperoxidation. Epidemiological studiesindicate an inverse relation between teaconsumption and the risk ofcardiovascular and other chronicdiseases. However, adding milk to blacktea has been reported to adversely affectits beneficial effects. But the data are notunequivocal, so researchers set out toput the record straight by assessing theeffect of the addition of milk to black teaon its ability to modulate oxidativestress and antioxidant status in adultmale human volunteers.Although thearea under the curve of plasma catechinswas lower on the consumption of teawith milk compared to black tea, it didnot affect the beneficial effects of blacktea on total plasma antioxidant activity,plasma resistance to oxidation inducedex vivo, and decreased plasma andurinary thiobarbituric acid reactivesubstance levels. “The results suggestthat addition of milk may not obviate theability of black tea to modulate theantioxidant status of subjects and thatconsumption of black tea with/withoutmilk prevents oxidative damage in vivo,”conclude the authors.

Vijayakumar C. Reddy et al, Annals ofNutrition and Metabolism 2005.

OBESE MEN MORE CARB INTOLERANTTHAN OBESE WOMENObese men may not processcarbohydrates as efficiently as obesewomen, a condition that can, ultimately,lead to a decrease in fitness level and thedevelopment of metabolic disorders. Anew study found that severely obesemen were more carbohydrate intolerantand had less physical endurance thanseverely obese women, leadingresearchers to believe that gender playsa strong role in physical fitness and aperson’s ability to metabolisecarbohydrates. “Carbohydrateintolerance, the inability to metabolisesugar found in carbohydrates, may leadto a buildup of fat deposits on muscletissue, which can cause a person to gainweight and, eventually, impair physicalendurance,” said study co-author Emile F.L. Dubois, MD, PhD, FCCP, Departmentof Pulmonary Diseases, Hospital Reinier

A new 12-week study of 302 adults withhigh-normal or mildly elevated bloodpressure found that those who ate specialcookies containing 40g of soybean proteinhad significantly larger decreases in pressurelevels compared to those who ate similarcookies made of complex wheatcarbohydrate.

The soybean group had net reduction of4.3mm Hg systolic and 2.1mm Hg diastolicblood pressure at the end of the study.Neither group reported significant sideeffects.

Editorial writers say, “We should requiregood evidence of benefit and safety beforerecommending soybean protein to the muchlarger population that is at risk forhypertension”.

The writers say that 40g of soybeanprotein amounts to about one ‘soy burger’plus one to two cups of soy milk. Manypeople may not be able to consume thismuch soy protein every day and no oneknows if that amount is safe, the writers say.

Both the study authors and the editorialwriters cite some evidence of an associationbetween soy protein and increased risk forbladder cancer.

Might a mixed vegetable protein producthave the same blood pressure lowering effectwithout the risk for bladder cancer? theeditorial writers ask. A major study to bereleased later in 2005 may answer some ofthese questions.

Annals of Internal Medicine, July 5, 2005.

Soybean protein may lower blood pressure

If you have high blood pressure, a dailybar-sized serving of flavanol-rich darkchocolate might lower your blood pressureand improve insulin resistance, researchersreport.

“Previous studies suggest flavanoid-richfoods, including fruits, vegetables, tea, redwine and chocolate, might offer cardiovascularbenefits, but this is one of the first clinical trialsto look specifically at dark chocolate’s effect onlowering blood pressure among people withhypertension,” said study author Jeffrey B.Blumberg, Ph.D.

Blumberg is a senior scientist at the JeanMayer USDA Human Nutrition ResearchCenter on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.

“This study is not about eating morechocolate,” Blumberg cautioned. “It suggeststhat cocoa flavanoids appear to have benefitson vascular function and glucose sensitivity.”

Blumberg and colleagues at the Universityof L’Aquila in Italy studied 10 men and 10women, all with hypertension. For one weekbefore starting the study, participants avoidedall chocolate and other flavanoid-rich foods.During the next 15 days, half ate a daily 3.5ozbar of flavanoid-rich dark chocolate, while theother half ate the same amount of whitechocolate. After another week of avoidingflavanoid-rich foods, each subject “crossedover” and ate the other chocolate.

“White chocolate, which has noflavanoids, was the perfect control foodbecause it contains all the other ingredientsand calories found in dark chocolate,”Blumberg said. “It’s important to note that thedark chocolate we used had a high level of

flavanoids, giving it a slightly bittersweet taste.Most Americans eat milk chocolate, which hasa low amount of these compounds.”

The researchers found a 12mm Hgdecrease in systolic blood pressure and a 9mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure in thedark chocolate group after 15 days. Bloodpressure did not decrease for white chocolate.

“This is not only a statistically significanteffect, but it’s also a clinically meaningfuldecline,” Blumberg said. “This is the kind ofreduction in blood pressure often found withother healthful dietary interventions.”

Researchers report that the dark chocolategroup also experienced a significant reductionin several measures of insulin resistancecompared to the white chocolate group.Levelsof LDL (“bad”) cholesterol dropped by about10% in the dark chocolate group, but stayedthe same in the white chocolate group.

“The findings do not suggest that peoplewith high blood pressure should eat lots ofdark chocolate in lieu of other importantblood pressure-reduction methods,” Blumbergsaid. “Rather, we are identifying specificflavanoids that can have a benefit on bloodpressure and insulin sensitivity.”

He said these results can generateimproved dietary recommendations that willhelp people regulate these risk factors.Blumberg said flavanoid-rich foods should bepart of an overall healthy diet, and that somedark chocolate could be part of that effort, aswell as fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains.

Blumberg J. et al, Hypertension: Journal of the

American Heart Association.

Dark chocolate may reduce bloodpressure, improve insulin resistance

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NEWS DIGESTContinued from page 11

de Graaf Groep, Delft-Voorburg,Netherlands. “It appears thatcarbohydrate intolerance is morecommon in obese men, which wouldcause them to be less physically fit thanobese women.”

Chest, July 2005.

CRANBERRY USE COMMON FORURINARY TRACT INFECTIONSNew research suggests it’s fairlycommon for parents to give theirchildren cranberry products to treat orprevent urinary tract infections. Resultsof a survey of 115 parents showed that74% of parents had heard of usingcranberry therapeutically and 29% hadgiven these products to their children –about half of these using cranberryproducts to prevent or treat UTIs.Theother half gave them for a variety ofreasons including “flushing the kidneys”or “when things just didn’t seem right”with their child’s urination. Significantly,parents reported that they usually donot discuss the treatment with theirpaediatrician. “It has become clear thatparents frequently use cranberry fortherapeutic purposes – occasionally inlieu of standard therapy,” said KathiKemper, M.D., a pediatrician at BrennerChildren’s Hospital. “Research to addressefficacy and safety issues is needed evenmore urgently than we originallythought.” Few paediatric studies havebeen completed to determine theefficacy of using cranberry products inhealthy kids with recurrent UTIs, shesaid. Of the 34 parents who reportedusing cranberry therapy, 32 usedcranberry juice, two used cranberry pillsor capsules and two used driedcranberries. None reported that theygave cranberry because they wereconcerned about side effects ortraditional therapy or because they ranout of antibiotics. Only 12 parents hadbeen advised by a health professional totry cranberry, while others had heardabout it through the media, family orfriends. Urinary tract infections are themost common serious bacterial illnesstreated by pediatricians.

Ambulatory Pediatrics, July 2005.


Adult lifestyles risk for diabetesAdult lifestyle – including diet – has more

influence on your chances of developingdiabetes than childhood experience,according to new research whose findingscontradict previously-held beliefs.

A team from the University of Newcastleupon Tyne, UK, studied 412 men andwomen and found that fatter adults weremore likely to have increased insulinresistance, a risk marker for Type 2 diabetes.

Birth weight and chilhood nutrition, werefound to have limited impact, whereas theywere previously thought to be significant.

The study measured participants’percentage body fat and waist-hip ratio,along with other lifestyle elements. Men andwomen with a higher body fat and higherwaist-hip ratio were more likely todemonstrate increased insulin resistance.

Study leader Dr Mark Pearce said

promotion of healthier lifestyles throughoutlife would be the public health interventionsmost likely to reduce insulin resistance inlater life.

He said: “Previous studies have suggestedthat risk of poor health in later life isprogrammed by impaired development in thewomb, and that poor growth in fetal andinfant life is associated with impaired insulinsecretion and sensitivity. However, not all ofthese studies have had access to completedata on later life.

“Our study, which has examined peoplefrom birth to adulthood, suggests that the lifeyou lead as an adult has the biggest influenceon your health, in terms of diabetes risk, inlater life.”

Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews,

published online August 2005.

In the search for the best fats for a heart-healthy diet, trans- and saturated fats have longbeen recognized as undesirable and those thatcontain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)and mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) arepreferred – with no clear benefit demonstratedfor higher levels of either the PUFAs or theMUFAs within recommended limits.

Now, a Penn State study provides evidencethat the optimum dietary fat isn’t one thatcontains either more PUFAs or more MUFAs,but one that contains a proper balance of bothto control cardiovascular risk factors.

Two heart-healthy oils, a new PUFA-richsunflower oil (NuSun) and the more MUFA-rich olive oil, were compared in a diet designedto lower blood cholesterol levels.

Dr. Penny Kris Etherton, distinguishedprofessor of nutrition who directed the study,says, “We expected the PUFAs, which arehigher in the sunflower oil than the olive oil, toproduce a greater reduction in total and LDLcholesterol levels in the study participants – andthey did. The surprise was the fact that the oliveoil diet, which is also low in saturated fat, didnot lower cholesterol levels compared with theaverage American diet. Also surprising was thatthe greater percentage of PUFAs in the NuSunsunflower oil diet did not increase LDLoxidation products that are risk factors foratherosclerosis.”

The researchers recruited 31 healthy menand women, ages 25 to 64, who hadmoderately elevated LDL cholesterol. The

women’s LDL cholesterol was in the 140 to 188range and the men’s was between 129 and 177.

The participants each ate three differentdiets: an olive oil-based diet, a NuSunsunflower oil-based diet or an averageAmerican diet. The two oil-based diets limitedfat to 30% of calories and the averageAmerican diet had 34% fat calories. Thevolunteers ate each diet for four weeks, took atwo-week break when they ate their usual dietand then moved on to the next diet. Bloodsamples were taken at the end of each dietperiod.

Blood samples showed that the NuSunsunflower oil diet significantly reduced total andLDL cholesterol levels compared with theaverage American diet. No significantdifferences were observed between the olive oildiet and the average American diet.

The ratios of total cholesterol to HDLcholesterol and LDL to HDL cholesterol werenot significantly different among the diets.

Previous studies have shown a greaterproduction of oxidation products followingconsumption of a high PUFA diet comparedwith a high MUFA diet. In this study, while theNuSun sunflower diet did not have a beneficialeffect on LDL oxidation, there were no adverseeffects despite the increase in PUFAs.

Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July

2005. Study supported by a grant from the National

Sunflower Association and a National Institutes of

Health grant.

Poly/mono balance importantto cholesterol-lowering diet

S O C I A L & C O N S U M E R R E S E A R C HAUGUST 2005 13

Americans believe obesity threat despite mixed findings

A large national U.S. survey shows that12% of U.S. adults (24 million people)consumed high doses (400 IU per day or more)of vitamin E supplements in 1999-2000 –doses that could increase risk of prematuredeath.

Researchers refer to several recent clinicaltrials that show that high doses of vitamin Eare associated with increased risk for prematuredeath.

Editorial writers in the Annals of Internal

Medicine point to other recent studies that showthat high doses of vitamin E do not prevent orlower risk for heart-disease, cancer, Alzheimerdisease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).Based on this research, they say that, at thistime, “people should avoid this vitamin at highdosages.”

The study found that among 4609 adults,11.3% consumed at least 400 IU of vitamin Eper day from supplements. Such intakeincreased with age, was about equal for men

and women, and was more common amongwhite persons than African-American orMexican-American people. The mediandietary intake of vitamin E was 8.8 IU per day.

Another survey (2) finds supplement use iscommon among middle-aged Americans andsizeably increases daily intakes of severalmicronutrients.

The survey of men and women aged 40-59found that intake from foods plus supplementswas considerably higher than from foods alonefor vitamins A, C, and E; niacin; folate; andiron. “These data underscore the importanceof dietary supplement assessment,” commentthe survey researchers.

Of the 2,195 participants 1,136 usedsupplements. Supplement use was morecommon among women, older participants,more educated participants, and AsianAmericans. Body mass index and currentcigarette smoking were significantly andinversely associated with supplement use; past

smoking and education were significantly andpositively associated with supplement use.

Elderly people who use herbal supplementsare less satisfied with “conventional” medicalcare than non-users and often do not tell theirphysicians they are combining supplementswith prescription drugs, according to anothersurvey conducted by researchers at NorthernIllinois University. Of 69 older peoplesurveyed, 35 said they used supplements,including garlic, glucosamine, gingko bilobaand fish oil. Nearly one-fourth of herbalsupplement users reported their doctor did notknow they were taking supplements. Of 26who combined supplements with prescriptiondrugs, six said they were doing so withoutmedical supervision.

1. Earl S Ford et al, Annals of Internal Medicine, 19

July 2005.

2. Sujata L. Archer et al, Journal of the American

Dietetic Association, July 2005.

Despite conflicting studies about obesity,most Americans think the problem remainsserious. A new opinion poll by the HarvardSchool of Public Health finds that mostAmericans have not changed their minds aboutthe seriousness of the obesity problem and donot believe that scientific experts areoverestimating the health risks of obesity. Inaddition, they are no less likely than a year agoto be keeping track of calories, fat content, orthe amount of carbohydrates they eat.

Three-quarters of Americans rate obesityas an “extremely” (34%) or “very” (41%)serious public health problem in the U.S.. Inaddition, the majority of Americans believethat scientific experts have been portrayingaccurately (58%) or even underestimating(22%) the health risks of being obese. Very fewAmericans reported believing that the healthrisks were being overestimated by scientificexperts (15%).

“Even after all the criticism that too muchattention is being paid to obesity, Americans stillsee this as a very serious problem for thecountry,” said Robert J. Blendon, Professor ofHealth Policy and Political Analysis at theHarvard School of Public Health.

COUNTING CALORIES, CARBS, AND FATS

The poll also finds approximately the samenumber of Americans in 2005 as in 2004reporting that they are keeping track of the

amount of calories (32% 2005, 35% 2004), fatcontent (47%, 46%) and the amount ofcarbohydrates (36%, 36%) in their daily diet. Inaddition, the survey finds a small increase in thenumber of Americans who report that they areseriously trying to lose weight from 27% in2004 to 32% in 2005. This includes more thanhalf (54%) of people who consider themselvesto be overweight.

OBESITY AND DEATH

A number of issues were raised by recentstudies about obesity including whether moreAmericans die each year from the effects ofobesity than from the effects of smoking andtobacco, and whether people who aremoderately overweight are more likely to dieprematurely or develop a serious chronic illnessthan those who are at the recommendedweight. Forty-one percent of Americansreported believing that the same number ofpeople in the U.S. die from the effects of beingseriously overweight as from the effects ofsmoking and tobacco. In addition, half of thepublic (51%) thought that someone who ismoderately overweight would be more likelythan someone who is the recommended weightto die prematurely. However, 73% thought thata moderately overweight person would be morelikely than someone at the recommendedweight to develop a chronic illness.

“Americans are pretty certain that being

moderately overweight leads to serious healthproblems,” said Blendon, “but they are notconvinced that it leads to premature death.”

TRUST IN SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS

The survey finds that trust in scientificexperts about obesity is mixed. Only 48% ofAmericans reported having a “great deal”(14%) or a “good amount” (34%) of trust in theadvice scientific experts give about weightcontrol. However, 61% of Americans said theypaid a lot (13%) or a fair amount (48%) ofattention to the nutritional recommendationsfrom experts about how to control their weight.

Few Americans (36%) reported seeing anynews stories about the recent differences inscientific findings around whether people whoare moderately overweight are no more likely todie prematurely than people who are at therecommended weight. Approximately one-half(52%) of those who read or saw any newsstories about the differences in scientific findingssaid that these stories would make no differencein the likelihood that they would pay attentionin the future to advice from scientific experts onhow to control their weight; only 11% saidthese stories would make them less likely to payattention.

For the complete survey and power pointslides see:http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/blendon/ObesityCharts.ppt


Many still take vitamin E, even though it may beineffective or harmful

E D I T O R I A L14 AUGUST 2005


Japanese lessons to helpthe west wise-up

Unilever’s decision to launch a bloodpressure-lowering dairy drink in Europe, as wereport on the front page of this issue, using anactive ingredient sourced from Japan, remindsus that it was Japan that gave birth to thewhole concept of functional foods, almosttwenty years ago. Today the Japanese marketfor functional foods and beverages is far moredeveloped than that of Europe or the U.S. andas such there are some very clear lessons thatwe can learn from the Japanese experience.

As we show in the Case Study on page 19of this issue of New Nutrition Business, the storyof Calpis’s Ameal S, the brand whose launchback in 1997 gave birth to the blood pressurelowering category in Japan, provides someuseful pointers for the future of that categoryin particular and functional foods in general inEurope and North America.

In theory there’s an apparently clear need,defined by abundant statistics, for productsthat help lower blood pressure. One in everyfour Japanese – that’s about 34 million people– are said to have elevated blood pressure.Japan’s Calpis – a pioneer in the functionalfoods market and a highly experiencedcompany – developed the first product toaddress this issue. Called Ameal S, it issupported by patent-protected science and itshealth claims are approved under Japan’s

FOSHU system of regulation. But despiteheavy investment in the blood pressure-lowering category by Calpis and itscompetitors, retail sales of blood-pressurelowering products peaked at $78 million in2003, before actually falling by 10% in 2004.Calpis, which still holds a 70% share of thecategory, saw sales of its own Ameal S brandtumble 20% in the same period from a peakof $59.4 million.

A NICHE WORTH HAVING

However, a $78 million market is ahealthy size business in which any companywould be happy to take a 70% share, andperhaps this is what Unilever has in mind withits recent launch. If the Japanese lessons wereapplied to the west – and why not, Japan is awealthier and more advanced society thanmost European countries – then if we look atthe numbers of people in Europe withelevated blood pressure (126 million) andassume the same level of consumerpenetration that blood pressure loweringproducts achieved in Japan, then that suggeststhat the European market for such productscould achieve a value, in retail sales, around$340 million (€279 million). Unilever knowsthat with its branding and distribution muscleit is uniquely positioned – with perhaps only

Danone as a big enough rival – to do inEurope what Calpis has done in Japan, andtake a 70% share of this new market, usingCalpis’s proven technology.

$340 million is a good-sized market, whensales are added up Europe-wide, althoughwhen looked at on a country-by-country basisit will still be a niche in each country. Probioticdairy drinks, for example, are already worth$3 billion in retail sales in Europe.

The question is whether there will bemuch space left for many other brands tocompete – and the experience of functionalfoods in Europe, and Japan, is that the answeris probably not. Benecol and Unilever’sPro.activ between them dominate theEuropean market for sterol-based cholesterol-lowering foods, and all other brands aremarginal. And in probiotics, it’s Danone’sActimel brand that dominates at a Europe-wide level, with no other single brandachieving even 20% of its size – although inindividual countries there are dominant localbrands and local brands that provide intenselocal competition for Actimel. Possibly,Unilever is counting on the samephenomenon working in this new category.

By comparison, the U.S. market for bloodpressure lowering products, also assuming thesame level of penetration as Japan, would be

worth a respectable $234 million.The eventual decline of the Japanese

blood-pressure lowering category alsoreminds us that the functional foods market isas tough as any other part of the foodindustry. Functional brands aren’t onlycompeting against one another, as Calpis hasfound in Japan. Consumers have a wealth ofchoices when it comes to lowering their bloodpressure, ranging from taking up moreexercise to changing their diet and lifestyleand, of course, taking prescription drugs. Asthe marketers of cholesterol-lowering foodshave found, eating functional foods to addressa health issue is only one path of many thatconsumers can take.

WELLNESS WINS

Another lesson from Japan – as the charton this page of sales of FOSHU productsshows – is that sales of functional productsare overwhelmingly in the area of “wellness”,of which gut-health is the largest segment.That’s the same story as in Europe, whereprobiotic dairy products dominate thefunctional foods market. Despite many, manyyears of consumer education and promotionand innovative product development, foodsspecifically targeting elevated blood pressureand cholesterol remain, as the chart shows,only a small part of the total functional foodmarket.

Wellness outsells disease-orientedproducts – life marketing beats deathmarketing, as we have said many times beforein these pages – for the very simple reasonthat people the world over prefer to getbenefits that they can see or feel. In Europeand Japan probiotics massively outsell allother types of health offerings for the verysimple reason that if you have an upsetstomach you can feel it and if you takesomething that makes it go away you canquickly feel the benefit. You will never feelyour blood pressure or cholesterol going downand so the compelling reason to buy theproduct again isn’t on you mind – unless youhave a serious condition, in which case thefear of death will put it there.

It’s for the same reason that weight-lossproducts are the second biggest FOSHUcategory in Japan after those for gut health –everyone wants to look better and we are allvain enough and optimistic enough to keeptrying to be slimmer and more desirable. It’sthis simple optimism that feeds the dietingindustry the world over and creates newopening after new opening for dietingproducts.

Unilever’s strategy shows great savvy inthis regard, and alongside “disease oriented”products, such as those targeting elevated

cholesterol and blood pressure, it is also, as wereport on page 3, targeting wellness, with theEurope-wide launch of products such asKnorr Vie, which provides a daily-dose of therecommended 5-a-day. Intentionally or not,Unilever has its market bets well hedged.

One more lesson from Japan. It’s one thatnow makes itself felt in almost every issue ofNew Nutrition Business and in this case you canfind it on the front page, as well as pages 3, 4,19, 20, 21, 22 and 23. It’s this – the “daily-dose” packaging format sells products.

When we first launched this publicationten years ago Yakult – hotly followed byDanone – had just introduced daily-dosepackages (65ml-100ml bottles) into theEuropean market. No-one should forget howthe concept was openly derided by people inindustry and consultants alike. Among thecriticisms leveled at the idea was that “Japan

is different”, that people in the West would“never” accept such a strange idea, and so on.

Today this packaging format is the onechosen by Unilever for its three most-recentnutritional product innovations and hasalmost become the standard for all innovativeproducts in the functional field, signaling as itdoes that this is a “healthy” and “different”product. This package can’t be a point ofdifference for ever – but the indications arethat Europe is rapidly going the way of Japanand that one day what was once derided willbecome as everyday in Europe as it isthroughout Japan and Asia, where there arethousands of “daily-dose” products of onekind or another. America remains the lastplace where this packaging format has yet tomake significant inroads, but it would be verysurprising if that didn’t change in time too.

E D I T O R I A LAUGUST 2005 15


Source: Japan Health Food & Nutrition Food Ass.And HSC Japan Analysis

THE JAPANESE FOSHU MARKET BY HEALTH CONDITION – WELLNESS OUTWEIGHS DISEASE

2003 Total Foshu SalesJPY 566.9 billion ($5billion/€4.1 billion

S T R AT E G Y C A S E S T U D Y16 AUGUST 2005

Mars seeks bounty in health

Mars Inc. is moving chocolate in a newdirection, taking its proprietary technologyand its investment in the science of cocoaflavanols into the world of pharmaceuticals,as well as creating an entire new businessunit designed to exploit the growinghealthful halo around chocolate. Thecompany also tells New Nutrition Business thatduring the fourth quarter it plans to begin alimited rollout in U.S. retail stores ofCocoaVia, the heart health-positionedchocolate snack bar that the company hassold only via the internet since late 2003.

Hackettstown, New Jersey-based Marsrecently announced the launch of MarsNutrition for Health & Well Being, with theaim of developing and launching “newfoods, snacks, beverages and lifestyle supportto better serve the nutritional and well-beingneeds of the consumer.”

And while the aim of the new Marsoperation sounds rather broad and holistic,the fact is that Mars aims to become “atrusted partner in healthy lifestyles,” in thewords of Michael Mars, president of thenew unit, using one path: chocolate.

“Mars is a global leader in cocoa scienceand in making great-tasting chocolate,” JimKatz, Mars’ vice-president of sales andmarketing, tells New Nutrition Business. “We’retrying to fulfill our mission of bringing

flavanols to the public interest. Initially, we’lldevelop products with the cocoa flavanolplatform. But beyond that, we think there isa multitude of opportunities leveraging thistechnology as well as others that Mars has inour arsenal – as well as research yet to bedone that will diversify our portfolio beyondflavanols.”

Katz says that Mars has a great heritageof producing good-tasting products, not

only candies but also savoury snacks andbeverages. “That’s always been one of ourcalling cards,” he says. “But now we need tocombine that with a real health efficacy thatis underpinned by sound nutritional science.That’s a part of Mars that many peopledon’t know about.”

Mars, in fact, has been researching thehealthy aspects of cocoa for decades and haspioneered scientific research over the last 15years in partnership with some of theworld’s largest universities into the healthbenefits of cocoa and the cocoa flavanolsthat provide the essence of those benefits.And now, the company is convinced that itindeed has something special in how it hasmanaged to harness cocoa flavanols.

“The health benefits of dark chocolateare greater than those from milk chocolate,of course,” Katz notes. “But then there’s adifference between dark and the chocolatefor which Mars has proprietary processesthat have been able to infuse our productswith guaranteed high levels of cocoaflavanols while at the same time being ableto put these in a matrix of low-fat, low-calorie products. There, in and of itself, is aunique difference between the darkchocolate market as a whole, and Mars.

“And we continue to do studies thatcontinue to prove the benefits of ourchocolates, and we’ll see over time that thescience that underpins it will take healthbenefits further than we’ve come to know sofar.”

As an illustration of just how far Marsmay go in creating value from cocoaflavanol science it recently announced that itis in discussion with a number of largepharmaceutical companies for a licensing orjoint venture agreement that would build onits work in synthesizing cocoa flavanols,enabling new flavanols to be developed fromnatural flavanols and enhancing theirfeasibility for pharmaceutical applications,including the treatment of diabetes, strokesand vascular dementia. Among some ofthese possibilities, which academicresearchers in the field of flavanols recentlydiscussed at a meeting hosted by Mars inSwitzerland, are:


No Western company has done more than Mars to invest in researching the health benefits of cocoa and turn thatresearch into the basis for a business strategy. It’s a strategy that’s already – even at this still-early stage – leap-froggedthe competition. Mars’ newly-launched Nutrition for Health & Well-Being Unit is one of a number of initiatives that areaimed at extending the company’s lead. Mars executives spoke to DALE BUSS and JULIAN MELLENTIN.

COCOAPRO – A SMALL SYMBOL FOR AN ADVANCED HEALTH STRATEGY

No major chocolate company has generated and used nutrition research findings in quite the sameway as Mars. Having funded much of the research in the area of chocolate and health it began todeploy the positive findings in its nutrition marketing strategy from January 2000 with its Cocoaprologo and website.

Cocoapro is “the Mars promise that [its] chocolate products are made from cocoa beans that arecarefully handled to retain their natural goodness”. For ‘natural goodness’ read flavanoids, as Mars itselfclarifies:“In Mars’ chocolate products, much of the natural levels of flavanoids found in the raw cocoaare retained through proprietary processes that help prevent the destruction of the cocoa flavanoidsduring processing. Products made with these processes carry the trademark Cocoapro.”

In Europe, the Cocoapro logo can be found on packages of M& M’s, Galaxy,Twix, Bounty Dark and theMars Bar and also on products including DOVE Dark Chocolate, Milky Way,Twix, Snickers,ThreeMusketeers and M& M’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bits in the U.S. market.

All products carrying the logo also carry theCocoapro website address –www.cocoapro.com – and it is through thisinteractive site that Mars is taking its healthmessage to consumers.

One of the most important

things that Mars has learned is

that the “proactive wellness

seeker” should be its target

customer.

S T R AT E G Y C A S E S T U D YAUGUST 2005 17


• The identification (for the first time) ofthe specific cocoa flavanol moleculesresponsible for reduction in plateletaggregation.

• Two clinical trials which found thatcocoa flavanols can increase blood flow

to key areas of the brain, suggesting thepotential for treatment of vascularimpairment associated with elderlypeople, including dementia and strokes.

• A new clinical study, which (building onprevious findings that cocoa flavanols canboost synthesis of nitric oxide by bloodvessels, increasing blood flow) has foundthat such increases can also be achievedamong people with diabetes. Thissuggests, says Mars, that cocoa flavanolscould aid in the treatment of seriousvascular complications associated withlong-term diabetes.

Besides the future possibilities borne ofits research into flavanols, Mars also isexcited about the potential that already hasbeen demonstrated by its health-positionedproduct called CocoaVia.

Available mainly online atCocoavia.com, the product is a snack barthat has 80 calories a serving and anutrition profile with what Mars calls“heart-healthy ingredients,” vitamins andminerals, in a premium chocolate “rich inthe flavanols preserved by our specialprocess.” Mars calls it “the only globalbrand purposely designed to deliver bothchocolate pleasure and real heart-healthbenefits.”

Katz says that CocoaVia has sold“really well” as evidenced by net sales – theamount of which he declines to divulge –and online feedback from consumers. Thelimited rollout of CocoaVia to retailers laterthis year, including natural-foods stores,stems from that popularity.

One of the most important things thatMars has learned about CocoaVia, which itplans on applying to its expanded nutrition

business, is that the “proactive wellnessseeker” should be its target customer. So far,Mars mainly has gone after consumers“who may have been scared straight in theirdiet and lifestyle” by a heart attack or aheart condition. “We thought this would bea perfect brand for them,” Katz says. “Andit is. We’re giving them back the freedom toenjoy chocolate, and these folks will be partof our overall consumer target.

“But we also realized that our biggeropportunity is against ‘proactive wellnessseekers’ who may have high cholesterol but

are concerned about their overall heart-health and are making changes before theyhave problems. So we’ll be positioningCocoaVia with them as a ‘choice’ brandrather than as a ‘need’ brand.”

Describing CocaVia as “the only globalbrand purposely designed to deliver bothchocolate pleasure and real heart-healthbenefits”, Mars says that CocoaVia will befollowed by a number of products targetinga variety of nutritional needs and benefits inthe months to come.

Speaking at last month’s Institute of

SUCCESSFUL TEST-MARKETING LEADS TO HEART-HEALTHY ROLL-OUT

In late 2003 Mars’ Masterfoods USA unit beganselling CocoaVia bars and individual chews on theinternet only, at a retail price of $15 for 10CocoaVia Chocolate Crunch Bars and 56 CocoaViaMilk Chocolate Flavor Chews.The company alsooffers home delivery of 20 Chocolate Crunch Barsand 56 chews every six weeks for $42.50 plus $5.95shipping and handling for each delivery.

Mars introduced CocoaVia in ads in Prevention,Cooking Light and Smithsonian magazines. In a highlyunusual bit of targeted marketing for a chocolatecompany, it also sent out more than 30,000 direct-mail pieces nationwide to lists of people who hadexpressed interest to outside vendors aboutreceiving literature about heart-healthy products.

The bars are rice, oat and soy crisps under drizzledchocolate, in Chocolate Crunch, Chocolate AlmondCrunch, Chocolate Cherry Crunch and ChocolateBlueberry Crunch flavours.The individually wrappedchews come in Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolateflavours.

Each serving of CocoaVia – one 23g bar – contains1.5g of plant sterols and at least 100mg of cocoaflavanols. Mars recommends that customersconsume at least two portions of CocoaVia eachday, noting that regular and continuing consumptionis important to glean the highest nutritional benefitsfrom the flavanols and phytosterols.

While not explicitly promising on the CocoaViawebsite an amount by which consumption will lowercholesterol levels, Mars notes that the AmericanHeart Association says a 10% drop in totalcholesterol can reduce heart disease by 30%.CocoaVia also includes vitamins B6, B12 and folicacid, calcium, three or fewer grams of fat and fewerthan 90 calories per portion.

On-pack structure-function claims for CocoaViainclude examples such as:

Cocoa has naturally occurring flavanols – antioxidantsthat help to maintain heart-health like those in red wineand green tea. All CocoaVia snacks have concentratedamounts of cocoa flavanols.

CocoaVia contains soybean extracts clinically shown tomaintain cholesterol levels within a healthy range.

CocoaVia contains heart healthy vitamins B6, B12, andfolic acid, antioxidants C and E, and is an excellent sourceof calcium.

All CocoaVia snack portions have 3 grams of fat or lessand are less than 100 calories.

We’ll be positioning CocoaVia

with them as a ‘choice’ brand

rather than as a ‘need’ brand.”



Food Technologists meeting in NewOrleans, Steve Rizk, Director of Scientific& Regulatory Affairs for Masterfoods USA(the name of Mars Inc.’s operatingcompany), said that the creation of the newbusiness unit was a logical next stepbringing together Mars’ 15-year efforts inresearch into the science of flavanols andthe consumer communications initiativesthat the company has pursued since 2000,

when it launched its Cocoaprocommunications initiative (see box below).

In a conversation with New Nutrition

Business Rizk emphasized that Mars wascurrently limiting its health communicationsabout the benefits of flavanols tostructure/function statements that aresupported by the totality of the evidence,and gave the example of, “Naturallyoccurring cocoa flavanols help to maintain

heart-health.”Rizk also pointed out the importance of

making claims that are credible in thecontext of the brand: “Our Dove Darkbrand has effective levels of flavanols, butthe image that we have built up for Dove ispleasure and indulgence and consumersdon’t want to see a heart-health claim onthat product – it’s just not congruent withthe position that brand holds.”

POSITIVELY HEALTHY – MARS DROPS ITS BRAND FOR ITS EUROPEAN TEST MARKET

In 2003 Mars conducted an interesting – and, sources say, successful – test-market for a highly innovative productconcept.

Positively Healthy Cocoa drink, which went into test-markets in the UK in early 2003, was a skimmed milk andcocoa powder beverage, packaged in a re-sealable 85ml bottle – a packaging format that is today revolutionizingthe nutrition business in Europe and Asia.

Neck labels described each bottle as containing 150mg of cocoa flavanoids: “the equivalent of 500g blueberries,450g red grapes or 400g green apples”.Among the health statements which appeared on the bottle’s neck-labelwere:

Cocoa antioxidants have been shown to be especially useful to top up the body’s defences to help maintain a healthy heart.

Cocoa antioxidants can help defend your heart and top up your defences.

While Mars has used its own brand name for its U.S. efforts, in the UK, the approach was quite different, with theMars name nowhere in sight.The launch was made through a company set up specially for the purpose ofmarketing healthy snack foods, called The Positive Food Company. Like Mars’ organic foods division, Seeds ofChange, there are no references to its parent on the company’s website or literature or on the product and sincethe cocoa drink test The Positive Food Company seems to have operated as vehicle for testing other healthyconcepts.At the moment its focus is on marketing four varieties of snack bars (see website picture below).

Positively Healthy Cocoa Drink was marketed in convenience stores in the London area and other selectedlocations.An industry source told New Nutrition Business that there were also direct sales into large offices andthat overall the more than year-long test had gone well.What Mars will do with the lessons of the test we canonly guess at.

Priced at around £1 ($1.74 /€1.45) per bottle, Positively Healthy Cocoa stood at a significant premium tocomparable products, such as Yakult and Actimelprobiotic daily-dose drinks, which retail at less than£0.40 per bottle. It was also more expensive than Mars’flagship Mars bar brand, which sells at around £0.30 abar.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Bottle Per 100ml Bottle Per 85ml

Energy 340 kJ/ 81 kcal 289 kJ/ 69kcal

Protein 3.7g 3.1g

Carbohydrate 14.9g 12.7g

Of which sugars 13.7g 11.6g

Fat 0.7g 0.6g

Of which saturates 0.4g 0.3g

Monosaturates 2.2g 0.2g

Polyunsaturates 0.0g 0.0g

Fibre 1.3mg 1.1mg

Sodium 0.04mg 0.03mg

Cholesterol Trace Trace

Positively Healthy Cocoa Drink Ingredients: skimmedmilk, water, raw cane sugar, fat reduced cocoa powder(5%), skimmed milk powder, stabilisers: (cellulose,carrageenan), natural vanilla extract, emulsifier:(vegetable monoglycerides).



An apparently clear need, defined byabundant statistics showing a growingmedical problem; patent-protected science;new product launches to maintain consumerinterest and increase the number of waysconsumers can choose to get a benefit – noneof these positives have stopped Japan’s highlysuccessful, market-leading blood pressurecontrol product – Calpis’s Ameal S brand –from experiencing a 20% fall in sales over thepast two years. Neither has heavy investmentby players in the category stopped sales inJapan’s total blood pressure control marketfrom sliding by 10% in 2004.

Sales of products regulated under Japan’sFood for Specified Health Use (FOSHU)system grew an astonishing 500% between1997 and 2003 (the last year for which wehave reliable data) reaching a sales value bythat year of JPY567 billion ($5 billion/€4.2million), spread over 398 products.

The blood pressure controlling category

accounted for about JPY8.8 billion ($78.8million/€65.3 million) in annual sales in2003, an impressive level of sales for acategory that didn’t exist prior to 1997.Within FOSHU, though, that can bedescribed fairly as a niche, corresponding tojust 1.6% of the total sales of FOSHUproducts. However, it has been a profitableniche for some. Although there are someblood pressure lowering products sold outsideFOSHU, sales of these are at a low level.

Worldwide, the market for products thatcontrol blood pressure is regarded as one ofhigh potential, and Japan is no exception.About 34 million Japanese, or one in everyfour people, have high blood pressure,according to Japan’s National NutritionSurvey (see box for more detail).

Thanks to the efforts of Calpis andcompetitors who followed it, Japan’s marketfor blood pressure controlling products canbe said to be the most advanced in the world.

However, few products have been successfuland some have been withdrawn from themarket.

Of the 34 million Japanese with highblood pressure, about 7 million arediagnosed as hypertensive and most receivemedical treatment. However, these patientsare not the target of FOSHU products. Forfunctional foods, it’s the remaining 24 millionconsumers who are the target. These peopledon’t only have high blood pressureproblems, but most of them either have, or atrisk of, one of a number of lifestyle-relatedconditions, such as obesity, high cholesteroland high blood sugar levels. For these peoplea product that addresses hypertension is just

Tough times in Japan’s bloodpressure lowering business

So you think that health statistics showing rising rates of elevated blood pressure might present big market opportunitiesfor companies who can sell scientifically well-founded products, supported by clear health claims? Maybe – but maybenot. Japan’s functional food market is far more advanced than in the West – and some companies are learning thatfunctional food markets can rapidly turn into no-growth niches and become as fiercely competitive and problem-afflicted as any other part of the food industry.Takeshi Takeda of Health Strategy Consulting Japan took time out toexplain to JULIAN MELLENTIN the challenges of Japan’s fiercely competitive market for blood pressure lowering products.

CHART 1: SALES OF “AMEAL S” BRAND

Note:“Ameal S Handy Tab” was counted as one bottle per 2 tablets.

Source: Calpis Financial Statements

“Ameal S”waslaunched inJuly 1997

Renewedas “Ameal SCalorieOff” inJanuary2000

“Handy Tab” and“Nomu Yogurt”were launchedin October 2002

Left:“Ameal S Handy Tab” (12 tablets).

Right:“Ameal S Handy Tab” (plastic bottle with 40 tabletslaunched in May 2005).

Left:“Ameal S Calorie Off ” 160g bottle.

Right:“Ameal S 120” 120g bottle launched in April 2005.



one of many possible solutions for healthissues.

Even after some eight years ofinvestment in the category, products forblood pressure control are effectively a niche– although with sales of $78.4 million (€65.2million) it’s a healthy-sized niche. Calpis’sAmeal S brand still dominates the marketwith about a 70% market share, largelybecause it’s the brand that created thecategory and as a result of Calpis’s efforts,“Consumers have an idea that ‘a bloodpressure controlling product = Ameal S’”.Brand recognition by consumers is a healthy70%.

According to estimates by HealthStrategy Consulting Japan and the JapanHealth Food & Nutrition Association, theFOSHU-approved blood pressure controllingmarket actually decreased by about 10% to

JPY8 billion ($71.6 million/€59.4 million) in2004. As Chart 1 shows, sales of Ameal S, ofwhich the active ingredient is Lactotripeptide(LTP), peaked in 2002 and slid sharply toabout JPY5.5 billion ($49.2 million/€40.8million) by 2004. Nevertheless, Ameal S stillholds a 70% share, with the remainder of thecategory split, as Chart 2 shows, betweenproducts containing active ingredients suchas du zhong tea leaf glycoside, sardinepeptide, casein peptide, bonito peptide andGABA. In February 2005, a product withacetic acid as an active ingredient waslaunched from Mizkan.

Calpis is one of Japan’s oldest and most-respected food and beverage companies. Itstarted out by launching a fermented milkcalled “Calpis” back in 1919, the result of anidea that Mr. Kaiun Mishima, founder of the

company, had when he traveled to Mongoliaand found that he felt better after drinkingfermented milk given by the local people.

In modern times the Calpis company hasbeen at the forefront of Japan’s functionalfoods revolution and in the 1990s conductedextensive research on lactotripeptide (LTP)which is found in Calpis’s lactic acid milkand was found to be effective in loweringblood pressure. LTP is produced from thefermented properties of three amino-acidbindings, VPP (valine-proline-proline bond)and IPP (isoleucine-proline-proline bond).Calpis found that these two compoundslower blood pressure levels by inhibitingACE (angiotensin converting enzyme), theenzyme that generates angeotensin II in thebody which in turn increases blood pressurelevels.

Source: HSC Japan Estimates

Source: HSC Japan LLC

CHART 2: BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROLLING FOSHU MARKET

CHART 3: PRODUCT LINE OF ‘AMEAL BRAND

Ameal Nomu Yogurt or Ameal Yogurt Drink in English.

Ameal Multi V Support.



Calpis commercialised this science in itsAmeal S brand, which in July 1997 was the63rd official FOHSU product launched inJapan. The name “Ameal” is said to mean“fermentate” and “arise” in Mongolian.Ameal S, a 160g beverage, was priced atJPY190 which was about twice as expensiveas regular soft-drinks.

When the product was launched, manyconsumers didn’t like its taste as it was toosour, a common problem with drinks basedon peptides. It was a critical issue asconsumers would not keep drinking Ameal S,and to be effective this type of product hadto be consumed on a regular basis.

After learning about consumers’feedback, Calpis started improving the tasteof its peptide. However, as a FOSHUproduct, Ameal S could not be changed.Calpis had to re-apply for FOSHU approvalwith a new taste profile, less sour but with thesame efficacy. Approved as a FOSHUproduct in December 1999, Ameal S CalorieOff was launched in January 2000.

As Chart 1 shows, the new launchprompted a 30% rise in sales of Ameal S. Inaddition to the fact that the new taste waswell accepted by consumers, the brandbecame more widely-recognized, as anational sporting hero, Shigeo Nagashima,who was an ex-baseball player and themanager of the national baseball team at theSydney Olympics, became the face of thebrand in advertisements for Ameal S. Salesalso grew when Calpis expanded itsdistribution to drugstores as well asconvenience stores, because, the companyfound, consumers purchase only one bottle ata convenience store but multiple bottles atdrugstores. Around that time, drugstoresstarted to allocate a shelf for FOSHUproducts. As a result, Ameal S was displayedin optimum conditions, because at that timethere were only a small number of productstargeting blood pressure – most FOSHUproducts targeted gastrointestinal health.

Sales of Ameal S hit a peak in 2002 andthen started to decline. One of the reasonsseems to have been that Kao introduced itsHealthia drink in May 2003. Healthia didn’tfocus on lowering blood pressure, but had themore widely appealing message that it couldreduce body fats. Because both productstargeted consumers at risk of lifestyle relateddiseases and men in middle age, Healthiadrink was in direct competition with AmealS. It appears that, when it came to a productthat was good for their health, consumerspreferred to focus on body fats rather thanblood pressure, and a green tea drink ratherthan a sour drink. Healthia soared to JPY40billion ($358 million/€297.3 million) in sales

in no time – four times higher than the salesof Ameal S at its peak.

In February 2005, Mizkan, the largestvinegar company in Japan, launched itsMinds brand – the first FOSHU product totarget blood pressure containing acetic acidas an active ingredient. Since it was priced atJPY168 per 100ml bottle, which was JPY30(or 5.6%) less expensive than Ameal S, Calpisresponded by launching a variant of Ameal Sin a 120g bottle – priced at JPY168 – inApril of this year.

In 2003, outside Japan, Calpis startedtest-marketing the Ameal S Tablet – adietary supplement – in limited areas of theU.S. west coast, expanding distribution to thewhole of California in 2004. In June thisyear [2005] Calpis announced its intention tobegin aggressive international marketing ofits LTP – which in 2001 won both the FoodTechnology Industrial Achievement Awardof the U.S. Institute of Food Technologistsand the Food Ingredient Research Award at

Food Ingredients Europe. Calpis’s recent tie-up supplying LTP to Unilever (as we reporton the front page of this issue) is the first stepin this strategy.

Ameal S has long won internationalattention as one of the leading, successful,FOSHU products, but it is now entering acrucial stage. The success of the re-launch toa smaller pack size will be an important testof the brand’s ability to turn round itsfortunes.

Takeshi Takeda,Managing Director,HealthStrategy Consulting Japan, can be reached at:

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: +81-3-3560-3638

Fax:+81-3-3560-3639

For more information on Calpis’s partnership withUnilever see page 1 of this issue.Turn to page 14for editorial comment.


CHART 4: MAJOR FOSHU PRODUCTS FOR BLOOD PRESSURE


CHART 5: MAJOR FOSHU PRODUCTS FOR BLOOD PRESSURE (CONT)

M A R K E T C A S E S T U D Y22 AUGUST 2005


With the debut of a blood-pressurelowering daily-dose dairy drink fromUnilever and the announcement by Calpis,the supplier of its active ingredient, calledAmealPeptide, that it intends toaggressively target the European marketand exploit its newly-opened productionfacility in Denmark, the pressure will be onCalpis’ competitors to put a bigger stake inthe ground in the market or lose it to thenew arrival from Japan. That will mean alot more marketing activity from ingredientsuppliers like Valio and DMV in themonths to come – to what extent thattranslates into new consumer products (andto what extent these new products garnersales) is another question altogether.

Unilever’s Becel Pro.activ drink is infact not the first but the second blood-pressure lowering daily-dose product – orblood pressure lowering product of anykind – on the European market. The firstwas Valio dairy’s Evolus, in Finland.

Valio’s patent-protected Evolus-

branded dairy drink was the first productsold in Europe to carry a scientifically-established claim that it can lower bloodpressure. Technically Evolus is a newcategory of dairy food. It’s not buttermilk,yoghurt nor milk but a fermented milkblended with fruit juice. Evolus milk isfermented with the lactic acid bacteria L.

helveticus K16. The fermentation processproduces bioactive tripeptides isoleucine-proline-proline and valine-proline-prolinewhich act as ACE (angiotensin- convertingenzyme) inhibitors, similar to bloodpressure-lowering drugs.

At least four peer-reviewed publishedclinical trials have established that anintake of 150ml a day of Evolus cansignificantly lower both systolic anddiastolic blood pressure.

The taste of the resulting product istoo sour for most people so Valio takes ajuice preparation, to which it has addedsome more of these peptides that it hasmanufactured by the same fermentation

process, and the juice is then blended withthe fermented milk. The end result is aproduct that has enough peptides to havethe claimed effect and a good taste. Itcomes in three fat-free flavours –pineapple-peach, strawberry andblueberry. The strawberry flavour is madewith aspartame and acesulfame K.

Patents protect the Evolus starterculture, the tri-peptide concentrate and theprocess know-how and technology, makingEvolus an ideal candidate for Valio’ssuccessful global technology licensingbusiness.

Two years after launch Evolus drinkwas selling some 1.5 million litres a year inFinland – a country of just 5 millionpeople – at around €2.65 per litre, arespectable 50% premium to regularyoghurt and four times the price of a onelitre carton of regular milk. In Finland,Evolus carries the following on-packstatement: Peptides help to control blood

pressure. Beneficial to health.

Europe: a burgeoning bloodpressure-lowering market for dairy?Unilever’s launch of a dairy drink to lower blood pressure will get most European companies thinking about this marketover the coming months.Whether there’s much room for more than one or two players is another matter.

Unilever follows Valio and its partners into the market for blood pressure-lowering dairy drinks.The Unilever launch means that there are now two suchproduct on the market in Portugal as well as the brands’s based on Valio’s Evolus technology in Spain, Iceland and Finland.

M A R K E T C A S E S T U D YAUGUST 2005 23


Late February this year (2005) saw thedebut in Spain and in Portugal of theEvolus technology, presented in the 65ml“daily-dose” packaging format which is fastbecoming the favourite for innovative dairylaunches in Europe.

The product launches were the firsttime that functional dairy productsdeveloped for lowering elevated bloodpressure have been made available inSpain and Portugal and it’s perhapsunsurprising that Unilever has chosen thePortugese market as the starting point forits efforts in this segment, suggesting thatthe next launch is likely to be in Spain(where consumers are the most health-active in Europe).

The Evolus products in Spain aremarketed under the brand name KaikuVita by the Iparlat dairy group, and inPortugal Emmi Evolus, which is made inSwitzerland by the Emmi dairy group, oneof the most innovative dairy companies inEurope. These fermented milk drinks aresold in 6-packs of 65ml bottles, with arecommended daily consumption of onebottle.

The Spanish product carries the healthclaim: Reduce la Tensión arterial (Trans:

Reduces blood pressure) and the Portugueseproduct the claim: Regula a Tensão Arterial

(Trans: Regulates blood pressure).

Both Emmi and Iparlat are long-termpartners of Valio: Emmi has marketedEmmi Aktifit products containing theprobiotic LGG, licensed from Valio, inSwitzerland and many other countriessince 1996, and Iparlat has sold LGGproducts in Spain since 2001.

The two new launches are based onValio’s Evolus technology, which has beenavailable in the Finnish company’sdomestic market since 2000 and in Icelandsince 2003.

DMV, the ingredients division of theDutch Campina dairy group, one ofEurope’s biggest, has also become acompetitor in the field of peptides,including one targeting lowering bloodpressure, called C12, which has beenclinically proven to lower blood pressure inmildly hypertensive subjects and can befound in a dietary supplement sold in theU.S. in the Twinlab brand (see picture) andin a daily-dose drink marketed in Japan(see box). Last year DMV told New Nutrition

Business that the majority of interest wascoming from the dietary supplement anddairy industries but that interest was risingin other categories.

Peptides in fact have a wealth ofpossible health benefits beyond the narrow

field of lowering blood pressure and bothDMV and DSM Nutritionals, anotherDutch-based ingredient giant, are alsomarketing peptides more widely on their“wellness” benefits, particularly in relationto sport recovery.

Clearly Unilever is gambling that bybeing the first major company with aconsumer brand that offers the ability tolower blood pressure it can carve outmarket leadership for itself. With itsbranding and distribution muscle that’slikely – but whether the size of the marketwill be big enough to satisfy Unilever, andwhether it can avoid the problem that itsingredient supplier Calpis encountered inJapan of this niche market leveling off andactually declining (see Case Study on page19) is quite another question.

DMV PEPTIDE DEBUT IN JAPAN

One of the first companies to use DSM’s C12 caseinpeptide was Japanese food, pharma and cosmetics firmKanebo, which is using C12 in a clear, daily-dose bottledrink called Casein DP Peptio Drink, which competes inJapan’s $78 million annual sales market for bloodpressure-lowering products.

Kanebo achieved FOSHU approval for the product but,“Unfortunately it was a failure at first,” Kanebo healthproduct development manager Toshiyuki Hamazaki toldNew Nutrition Business.“The drink was rather bitter and it exhibited occasional precipitation.Wedecided to alter the concentration and formula slightly to make it less bitter, stable and clear.” The finallow-calorie product was launched in 2002.

Hamazaki said that the product is sold through the Nippon Milk Community home delivery system,“which can approach customers directly to inform them about the function.”

Sources say that Kanebo’s product has achieved sales of around JPY300 million ($2.6 million/€2.2million) since launch.

ICELAND SCORES A WORLD-FIRST

Iceland may seem like a small and remote country, but its biggest dairycompany,Mjölkursamsalan, stands equal to some of the most innovative inEurope or America.Having created one of the most successful “daily-dose”probiotic drink brands in the world, in 2003 it maintained its reputation forinnovation with the launch of what was only Europe’s second bloodpressure-lowering product – and the first in the world in a “daily-dose”format.

The LH fermented dairy drink – marketed in 100ml bottles – is based onthe Evolus technology developed and patented by Valio, and licensed byMjölkursamsalan.

A 100ml bottle was chosen for LH instead of the 65ml bottle thatMjölkursamsalan uses for its successful probiotic drink,“to better cover thetaste of the bio-active peptides,” explains Einar Matthiasson,Manager ofMarketing and R&D at the Icelandic company:“If they are too concentratedthey give an odd flavour.”

The name “LH” is partly a reference to the bacteria – Lactobacillushelveticus – used to produce LH’s active ingredient and partly a sidewaysreference to the lower and higher blood pressure measures – systolic anddiastolic.

Mjölkursamsalan has a long-standing partnership with Valio as a licensee of Valio’s LGG probiotic bacteria.The company launched a 65ml LGG probiotic drink back in 1998.The results were very impressive in acountry with a population of just 285,000 – the number of bottles sold hit 6 million in the first year.

LH drink is available in three varieties, apple-pear, cherry and strawberry, and is packaged in daily-dose-type100ml bottles, a product format which until this year – on a worldwide level – had been used only forprobiotic drinks for intestinal wellness.

DMV’s milk-derived peptide C12 can be found inone of Twin Lab’s supplements but DMV wantsblood pressure controlling peptides to be seen indairy products too.



Back in 2000 Kellogg introduced ontothe U.S. market a new soy-fortified cereal asa way to tap into American consumers’then-surging interest in the healthfulness ofsoy protein, following the FDA’s approval ofa health claim that soy could help lowercholesterol levels.

The first soy-based cereal to beintroduced by a leading brand, Smart StartSoy Protein was expected to soar. “Soy is abig food opportunity,” John Cook, Kelloggexecutive vice-president, told New Nutrition

Business at the time of launch. “With thisnew entry, Kellogg fills an unmet needbringing soy mainstream.” Added hiscolleague dietitian Meghan Parkhurst:“This is an untapped market with greatpotential.”

“In tests, this scored as well as any otherKellogg cereal in meeting the tasteexpectations among regular Kellogg cerealeaters and did even better among peoplewho already consume soy productsregularly,” Parkhurst says. “So we feel it willhave broad appeal even to people who arejust looking to add a source of low-fatprotein to their diets.”

In early 2005 Kellogg extended therange to three varieties of its Smart Startcereal where there used to be only one. Themost recent, Smart Start Healthy Heart,was introduced in February, joining SmartStart Antioxidants and Smart Start SoyProtein on the cold-cereal shelves ofAmerican supermarkets.

At least one prominent packaged-goodsconsultant likes the Smart Start strategy.“They wouldn’t have introduced the threevarieties if there wasn’t an understoodconsumer need for different products,” saysKen Harris, of Cannondale Associates. “It’stoo costly and there’s too much effortbehind introducing products if you don’tthink that there’s solid consumer thinkingbehind it.”

With the three varieties, Kellogg is“trying to build a [Smart Start] platform,”Harris notes. Its timing is probably prettygood, considering that cereal sales areundergoing something of a renaissance,which is partly reflected in Kellogg’s strongyear-over-year sales numbers in 2005.

“The ‘moratorium’ on cereal is over,”Harris says. “Somebody woke up and said,‘Cereal is good for you.’ All the shoutingabout low-carbohydrate diets supercededeverything else about cereal for awhile,which was too bad. And the new generationof cereals – including Smart Start – is muchbetter than the last.”

Kellogg segmented Smart Start so thatit could broaden the appeal of the line bypromoting the specific health benefits ofeach variety: Healthy Heart for loweringcholesterol and high blood pressure; SoyProtein for lowering cholesterol and for theother benefits that soy brings; andAntioxidants for supporting the immunesystem.

“Consumers,” says Kelloggspokeswoman Jenny Enochson, “know thatcertain ingredients have specific nutritionalbenefits and they tell us that they look forproducts that can help with their personalhealth concerns. And these are key healthconcerns of the largest segment of the U.S.population.”

Kellogg began distributing it inFebruary during what is known as HeartHealth Month in the U.S.. Kellogg also

conducted a one-month marketing initiativeit called Simple Start to a Healthy Heart, bydirecting consumers to a website where theycould read and adopt a set of “realisticgoals” developed in concert with Dr.Andrea Pennington, head of thePennington Institute for Health andWellness, author of The Pennington Plan and apast medical director of the DiscoveryHealth Channel.

Beginning with the segmentation,Kellogg also has been highlighting thewhole-grain content of each of the threeSmart Start varieties. Enochson says thecompany pushed aside any concerns thatconsumers might be getting too manyhealth messages on the same package.

“While consumers place a premium onthe product-specific benefits of the threecereals in the Smart Start line, they are alsointerested in combining those benefits withthe nutritional advantages that whole-grainsoffer.”

Does the extension of the brand reflecta successful track-record for Smart Start? Infact, it’s been a very slow climb for theSmart Start trio up the sales rankings ofAmerica’s cold cereals (a $6 billion retailsales market) which are headed by GeneralMills’ Cheerios, with $290 million in annualsales. Kellogg’s best-selling product, at No.4, is Frosted Flakes, with $247 million insales.

Smart Start Healthy Heart, bycomparison, is ranked 95, for example, andSmart Start Soy Protein is 101, according todata compiled by Information ResourcesInc. (IRI), which tabulates sales at U.S.grocery, drug and mass-merchandise storesexcept Wal-Mart. Total Smart Start brandsales were $27 million in the year to 10 July2005, says IRI. That’s a sales level mostcompanies would be happy with, but afterfive years of effort it’s far short of theexpectations Kellogg’s once had for thebrand. And what’s more sales of SmartStart were actually down 20% compared tothe previous year. Kellogg will be hopingthat its new segmentation can reverse thattrend. Whatever the outcome, it’s areminder of how difficult it can be to takenutritional brands out of the health niche.

Smart cereal yet to leave the starting line?Open any industry magazine, visit any industry website, and you’ll find no shortage of articles hyping this month’s“next big product opportunity”. And there’s plenty of instant experts ready to say that it’s full steam ahead forall functional foods. But what happens to new brands when the hype is over? At New Nutrition Business we areuniquely positioned to answer that question. Five years ago Kellogg launched a line of heart-healthy soy-basedcereals.This month we ask what happened next.

M A R K E T I N G C A S E S T U D YAUGUST 2005 25


About as ancient a staple as processed foodcan be, oatmeal and its makers keep coming upwith ways to reinvent the product. Back in1997, the granting of a heart-health claim foroatmeal by the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration provided oats and oatmeal withan effective new marketing platform whichQuaker – the world leader in oats and thecompany whose petition to the FDA resulted inthe heart-health claim – has since madeintegral to its marketing communications not

only in the U.S. but Europe and Asia.Now, PepisCo-owned Quaker Oats is

attempting to make the most of oatmeals’benefits in yet another way: creating andmarketing new, benefit-specific versions of it.Quaker introduced Take Heart InstantOatmeal in January this year, targetingconsumers with concerns about high bloodpressure and high cholesterol.

And in September this year, New Nutrition

Business has learned, the company also will belaunching Weight Control oatmeal.

“We see the landscape working very well inour favour right now,” David Kimbell,marketing director for oatmeal for QuakerOats, told New Nutrition Business. “Health andwellness trends, aging populations, increasingconcern about heart-health, diabetes andobesity – all of these things are very important

trends that oatmeal can play a role inalleviating.

“We’re constantly looking at ways toaddress that through existing or new products.”

Take Heart, sold with the tagline,“Advanced Nutrition for your Heart”, is thecompany’s latest attempt. It delivers 50% moresoluble fibre from whole-grain oats thanregular oatmeal, to help lower cholesterol, andextra potassium to help lower the risk of highblood pressure. It also delivers addedantioxidants vitamins E and C, and vitamin Bfor the support of healthy arteries.

On the front of the pack three claimscommunicate these added benefits:Now 1.5g soluble fiber from oats to help remove

cholesterol

With added antioxidant vitamins E & C plus B

vitamins to help support healthy arteries

Now low sodium plus potassium to help maintain

healthy blood pressure.

The product also carries the SmartChoices Made Easy logo that PepsiCointroduced last year as an easy way forconsumers to identify those products in itsrange that meet certain positive nutritionalcriteria.

“There’s more activity in the heart-healtharena than there’s ever been,” says Kimbell,explaining the rationale for Take Heart. “Butwe were really the first product to receive theFDA heart-health claim, and oatmeal and oatsare particularly powerful in loweringcholesterol. This is an extremely strong andnatural and pure and simple product, andpeople understand that it has what they’relooking for.

“There are some additional things thatdon’t occur naturally in oats that we wanted tomarry up with the power of oats. So it’s reallyadvanced nutrition for the heart. We think itwas an important evolution.”

Yet Quaker Oats isn’t pricing Take Heartat a premium. Adopting the same strategy thatis used by PepsiCo’s Tropicana unit in uniformpricing for its regular and nutritionallyenhanced orange juices, Quaker Oats hasgiven Take Heart a suggested retail price of$3.49 for a 12.6oz (360g) box of eight 1.58ozpackages of instant oatmeal, the same as for itsregular varieties. It comes in Golden Mapleand Blueberry flavours.

“That’s been our strategy for most of ourproducts,” Kimbell says. “We want to providefair value.”

Take Heart’s launch included TV

advertising as well as sampling and otherpromotional tactics. Quaker Oats will becoming back to such gambits in the fall whenthe seasonal appeal of oatmeal begins to pickup steam. One specific initiative will be toexpand sampling of Take Heart throughdoctors’ offices “so that we can reachcardiovascular patients that may be looking forappropriate products,” Kimbell says.

Even newer will be Quaker Oats WeightControl oatmeal, which is formulated with

added fibre and protein. “We know thosethings are important for people who aremanaging their weight,” Kimbell says. “It’s abroad message because clearly, right now,many Americans are concerned withmanaging their weight. But we’re also going tospecifically target those most concerned abouttheir weight, through partnerships with fitnessclubs and by advertising in magazines that arespecifically focused on weight managementand control.

But Quaker Oats is stepping outside itsoatmeal pricing model with Weight Control,planning to charge about a 20-cent premiumper box. “It truly has a benefit that we think isvery important, and as we think aboutproviding those additional ingredients, there’s acost associated with it that we think isimportant to cover,” Kimbell says.

Healthy times ahead for oatsBy Dale Buss

“Health and wellness trends,

aging populations, increasing

concern about heart-health,

diabetes and obesity – all of

these things are very important

trends that oatmeal can play a

role in alleviating”.



Nature’s Path is the North Americancategory leader in the “natural products”breakfast cereals category, and whilealmost all of its products are organic, thecompany doesn’t segment its market thatway. Its typical consumer is a woman froma household with at least $60,000 inannual income, an empty-nester with apost-secondary education – “the WholeFoods shopper,” as David Neuman, vice-president of sales and marketing for theRichmond, B.C.-based company, says.

But over the two decades of thecompany’s existence, Nature’s Path hashelped expand – and has also ridden – theever-broadening wave of consumerenthusiasm for natural cereals and othergrain-based products. It is now found inmany supermarkets and warehouse-clubstores.

Another growing portion of itsconsumer base is college students andother twenty-somethings who areembracing vegetarian and organic diets.Nature’s Path remains one of the fewsubstantial independently ownedcompanies in its marketplace, with rivals ofvarious sorts having been bought out thelast few years by the likes of Kellogg,General Mills and other multinationals.

Company founder Arran Stephens isone of the 1960s generation – whichincludes people like Steve Demos, thefather of the soy milk industry, and organicyoghurt guru Gary Hirshberg – who havebuilt highly successful businesses on theprinciples of natural health and respect forthe environment that they developed intheir youth.

Stephens – the son of berry farmers, apublished author, poet and painter–travelled widely in his youth, and set up hisfirst business, a vegetarian restaurant, in1967 with his wife after returning fromtravelling in India. In 1985, the couplebegan marketing Nature’s Path breads andthis led to the birth of the breakfast cerealbusiness.

Focusing on making products that areformulated to provide maximum nutritionand specific dietary needs, the Stephens

family business now has over $100 millionin annual sales. Its market reaches fromCanada to the U.S. – which accounts for60% of company sales and where it ismarket leader – to the UK, Australia andNew Zealand. Brands include theEnviroKidz lines of cereals, Optimumcereal (the company’s best seller), as well asflavoured waffles and cereal bars.

From the beginning, Nature’s Path hasappealed to the very intense and loyalNorth American consumer of naturalproducts and recently it has managed toexpand its presence in the marketplacewithout forsaking them. The company hasfound ways to continue to fulfillconsumers’ desire for organic and naturalgrain-based products through steadilyexpanding its product line to includenutrition bars, waffles and, most recently,an entire new brand of products aimed at

children called Envirokidz, a sub-brandwhich is close to becoming a $10 millionbusiness in the children’s nutritionalbreakfast cereals segment, based around anuncomplicated “all-natural” and “free-from” message (see box on page 27).

Nature’s Path offers grain-basedproducts across a broad spectrum and atprices that are fairly well in line withmainstream-product prices; for example, a14oz box of Optimum Power cereal carriesa suggested retail price of $2.49. HeritageFlakes and Heritage Bites, its best-sellingcold-cereal products throughout theNineties, consist of whole-wheat meal,wheat bran, cane juice, Kamut wheat flour,whole-oat flour, oat bran, millet, barleyflour, quinoa, barley-malt extract and seasalt – all organic. A serving provides 16%of the Recommended Daily Value ofdietary fibre, 14% of recommendedcalcium, 9% of carbohydrates and just 1%of fat. The much newer Optimum Powercold-cereal product is made of similaringredients with the notable additions oforganic flaxseeds, soy fibre, soy flour,freeze-dried blueberries, cinnamon,calcium carbonate, folic acid and vitaminB-12. The focus of new productdevelopment is on using ingredients suchas flax oil, soy flavanoids and inulin, whichhave scientifically proven benefits and metthe criteria of “natural”.

As one of the longest-existing brands inthe organic and natural space, Nature’sPath has earned consumers’ trust. And theU.S. government’s introduction of nationalstandards for defining organic products hascontributed even more fuel to thecompany’s growth: After sales growthaveraging about 20% a year during the lateNineties through 2002, Neuman says, thecompany’s sales growth has averaged morethan 30% a year since the new organicstandards.

While it chases mainstream consumerswith its execution of “organic” products,Nature’s Path also has intelligentlycontinued to reward its core consumerswith more and more new products built onthe same basic brand proposition, which

Natural cereals make a healthy pathWhile many giant food processors have struggled with creating successful health-oriented brands (see CaseStudy on page 24), family-owned Nature’s Path has come from nowhere and is now a force to be reckoned within health, focusing on “all-natural” health benefits and on reaching the health-conscious consumer through America’sunique natural products retail channel. For Nature’s Path this channel has proved to be a good springboard forselling to mainstream health-conscious consumers. DALE BUSS and JULIAN MELLENTIN report.

Arran Stephens, founder of Nature’s Path whichis rapidly making a success of its Envirokidzbrand, is a published author, poet and painter, andtravelled widely in his youth, searching for hisown path. “I ended up in India and spent timewith spiritual teachers. I began to look at ways ofhow to live. I wanted to save the world. I stillwant to save the world.”



has continued to build their trust in thecompany and the brand.

Nature’s Path has continued to committo blanketing its core audience withawareness and trust builders. It conductsextensive national promotional activities aswell as in-store promotions in Whole Foodsand other “super-natural” chains. Thecompany also now buys significantamounts of print advertising, thanks to itsrobust sales growth of the last few years.Magazine placements include Men’s Health,

Vegetarian Times, Women’s Health & Fitness,and Natural Health. It supports its hot-selling Optimum brand specifically withadvertising in publications such as Runner’s

World and by various promotions includingsampling at marathons and other athleticevents.

Nature’s Path plans to build on itsrecent sales momentum to broaden thecompany significantly, Neuman says. It iscounting on the Envirokidz line (see boxbelow) and its newest products, a Pop Tartanalog, to help significantly in thatendeavour.

BUILDING A KIDS’ BRAND WITH PARENTS SEEKING SIMPLICITY, NOT SCIENCE.

In focus groups with children, Nature’s Path found that kids wanted simple products, not complexmedleys of ingredients. The packaging had to be “fun, but nothing funky that made it obvious wewere trying to save them from obesity,” says Neuman, Nature’s Path’s vice-president of sales andmarketing.

And many mothers, the focus groups underscored, also wanted the cereals to be gluten-free.“There are a lot of kids with wheat allergies,” Neuman says. Even health-food stores “really hadn’tunderstood yet that gluten-free is a destination category for many people.”

Given its heritage of support not only for wholesome food products but also for environmentalcauses, as well as the creative and marketing possibilities inherent in endangered animal species,Nature’s Path also decided that the kids’ line should have an environmental theme.

So in 2000, Envirokidz was launched in several cereal varieties.The cereals included what thecompany believed were clear-eyed executions of the concepts that it had formulated, from focus-group research and elsewhere, about how to make even organic products appealing to kids.Theywere simple products, including Koala Crisp, an interpretation of mainstream Cocoa Puffs, andPanda Puffs, which have a peanut-butter coating. Four of the six cereals were gluten-free.

And the packaging, reflecting endangered-animal designs composed by an animator – but notanimation per se – conveys what Neuman calls “mature fun.” “Some in our focus groups did likemainstream cereals largely because of their packaging,” Neuman says. For example,“Boys likeaggressive packaging.And so we were worried that boys weren’t going to gravitate too much to thepackaging of Envirokidz. But as a company, we’re going to communicate a certain way no matterwhat.We’re not licensing, and the causes that we donate to are going to be reflected on ourpackaging.”

The Envirokidz formula has worked wonderfully for Nature’s Path.The brand has captured about 89% of the children’s organic cold cereal market, asegment that accounts for nearly 10% of all cereal now being sold in natural-foods markets, according to figures provided to Nature’s Path by SPINS, theCalifornia-based natural-foods sales-tracking firm, with retail sales heading towards $10 million, according to industry sources.

Nature’s Path also made good on its promise to benefit environmental causes through Envirokidz sales. It has conducted cross-promotions withenvironmentally friendly enterprises such as an outfit that showed a movie about pandas at IMAX theatres in Canada.And the company has donatedmore than $300,000 over the last four years to the Amazon Conservancy and other environmental funds.“And those are amounts that come not fromgross profits, a number that consumers can’t control, but from gross sales,” Neuman notes.“Our contributions amount to 1% of gross sales.”

In 2003, Envirokidz diversified into what Neuman says was “a lacklustre segment”: natural and organic nutrition bars for kids. Envirokidz has helpedenergize the category, he says, and now the brand has the top three sellers in the segment.

And in March, 2004, Nature’s Path Toaster Pastries were launched. So attractive was the product to retailers, Neuman says, that initial sales to stores wereseven times what the company had forecast.

Nature’s Path’s credentials as a maker of healthy all-natural foods gives its brand a perfect platformfor credibly marketing the intrinsic heart-health benefits of its oat cereals.

H E A LT H C A R E C O S T S28 AUGUST 2005


Europe faces a crisis of spirallinghealthcare costs driven by ever-rising ratesof obesity, diabetes and related conditions.But despite the need for healthier foods thatcan play a role in preventing suchconditions, there’s a big risk that withoutgovernment intervention healthier productswill more likely than not be condemned toniche status in the food market. That’s theconclusion of a team of eminent researchersinvestigating the economic impact of obesityon behalf of the European Commission.

“Without government intervention, itseems inevitable that the combination ofhigh input costs, identity preservationsystems and lack of scale, alongsideconsumers’ unwillingness to pay much of aprice premium for healthy products, wouldcondemn healthy lipid-modified foods to aseries of mostly small niches in the market,”researchers told attendees at a workshopstaged in Brussels by the British NutritionFoundation and called Future Food for thought:

the economic impact of trends in obesity and diabetes

in the EU. The workshop provided a platformto discuss the economic implications for theEU of current trends in obesity, themetabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Economists Dr James Fry and Dr WillaFinley of Oxford, UK-based LMCInternational, an economic consultancyspecialising in agricultural products,discussed the findings of the economic armof the Lipgene Project, a five-year researchproject (started in 2004) funded by the EUCommission and entitled Diet, genomics and

the metabolic syndrome: an integrated nutrition,

agro-food, social and economic analysis.

In 2002 the full annual direct andindirect costs of obesity incurred by fifteenEU countries was estimated to be nearly €33billion ($39.6 billion). The UK, Germany,Italy and France together accounted for over75% of the total. The obesity bill has beenincreased by the accession of ten moreeastern European countries last year and thecontinuing upward trend in obesity rateswhich are already high – at least half themember states have more than 20% of theiradults with BMIs of over 30.

The Lipgene Project, which is beingconducted by a pan-European consortiumof 25 research partners, has the goal ofexploring the role of diet in both thedevelopment of the metabolic syndromeand in reducing its prevalence andassociated complications.

That includes identifying foods whichcould make it easier for people to eat aheart-healthy diet, and therefore reducetheir risk of developing metabolicsyndrome, Type 2 diabetes and CVD.

“Innovative and cutting edge technologyis being used in Lipgene to develop foodswith modified fat compositions; for example,milks with a more unsaturated fatty acidprofile and plant oils containing long chainomega-3 fatty acids,” say the researchers.

“Such foods have the potential to playan invaluable role, in the future, in the battleagainst the rising tide of the metabolicsyndrome, Type 2 diabetes and

Government must back healthier foodsto cut healthcare costs say researchers

Preliminary findings from an EU-funded project on the role of healthier foods in the fight against the rising costsof healthcare related to obesity and metabolic syndrome have come as music to the ears of many in the industry– researchers say that government needs to take steps to make such foods more widely available and the costof taxpayer-funded intervention to do so will be less than the cost to the taxpayer from failing to act.

Source: LMC

2002 TOTAL EU-15 DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS OF OBESITY (ATTRIBUTED PRO RATA TO1998 UK DATA.)

The dilemma, say the

researchers, is that only a few

consumers will pay a

significant premium for special

food attributes.

H E A LT H C A R E C O S T SAUGUST 2005 29


cardiovascular disease, without consumershaving to make major changes to theirdietary habits.”

But such products are expensive and theresearchers presented data that showed thatthe total costs for milk, meat or eggs withimproved and healthier nutrient profiles are10%-60% more than for conventionalalternatives. This is due to, they say, theextra costs of feed, such as flax or fish oil,needed to enhance the omega-3 levels ofthese foods. The reduced rate of weight-gain for beef with a healthier fatty acidprofile, the costs of preserving the healthierproducts separate from regular ones in thesupply chain – the identity preservation orIP costs – and higher unit costs due toproducers’ and processors’ inability toexploit scale, all contribute to the highercosts of finished products.

It’s economies of scale that have thebiggest impact upon overall costs, say theresearchers and the cost penalty for low-volume healthier products (which at presentaccount for no more than 2%-3% marketshares) compared to conventional products(with over 90% share of the market) variesfrom 35% to 85% for the productsconsidered in the Lipgene project.

Retailers also have an effect on theselling price of healthier products, expectinghigher margins on slow-moving, lower-volume healthier foods.

In addition to these higher productioncosts, consumers’ unwillingness to pay pricepremiums for health is also a restrainingfactor on the sales of such products. Forexample:• Phytosterol-fortified spreads, such as

Benecol and Unilever’s Pro.activ, havejust a 7% of the market in the UK, and2%-3% in the U.S., with consumerspaying a near 300% premium at retailers.

• Healthy eggs and chickens have 3%-4%of the U.S. market, with premia of closeto 200% for eggs, but of only 40% forfresh chickens.

• Healthy beef, milk and cheese hold lessthan 1% of the U.S. market andcommand price premia of 25%, 60% and115%, respectively.

The dilemma, say the researchers, isthat only a few consumers will pay asignificant premium for special foodattributes.

Drs. Fry and Finlay argue that thechallenge for governments and others whoare looking to improve the healthfulness ofthe food supply is to balance the cost ofmeasures to boost demand for healthy foods– as a result expanding the scale of

Source: LMC

RECENT RETAIL US PRICES FOR NUTRITIONALLY ENHANCED OR SPECIALTY EGGS

Source: LMC

PREMIUM VS MARKET SHARE FOR HEALTHY FOODS PHYTOSTEROL SPREADS – UK DATA

Source: LMC

FOODS – EGGS (US DATA)

production and so lowering production costs– against the likely benefits in reducedhealthcare costs from reductions in obesity.They outline three ways governments couldachieve this balance:1.Subsidise the costs of inputs to healthy

foods so that they will appeal toconsumers costwise.

2.Mandate the use of healthy inputs infoods and force consumers to meet theextra costs.

3.Target subsidies to specific users – eg. Viavouchers (like prescriptions).

Of these three options, subsidisinginputs across the board ensures take-up, butit is indiscriminate in scope and wasteful infailing to target beneficiaries.

Mandating input use (as with vitamin Ain sugar in some countries) is indiscriminate,too, but spares governments subsidy costs,passing them on to consumers.

The third option – targeting subsidies –is the most promising, conclude theresearchers, being cheaper than an across-the-board subsidy, as long as theadministrative costs are kept in check. “Alsothere is less chance that the prices of specialingredients for lipid-modified food productswill be raised (when compared to acomprehensive approach),” they note.

Their analysis suggests that if thetargeting is directed towards specific lipid-modified animal products – meat, dairyproducts, eggs – for the 20% of the EUpopulation who are obese, the subsidy

needed to cover all increased product costswould be €6 billion ($7.2 billion) a year. Ifthis approach manages to reduce theincidence of obesity by one fifth – from thecurrent incidence of 20% to 16% – theoverall annual costs of obesity would be

lowered by over €6 billion, yielding a smallnet advantage they say, adding that “thetrade-offs will only become better defined asthe Lipgene project generates scientificresults.”

Without government intervention, theresearchers conclude, it seems inevitablethat the combination of high input costs andlack of scale, alongside consumers’unwillingness to pay much of a premium forhealthy products, will condemn healthylipid-modified foods to a series of mostlysmall niches in the market.

A second workshop, also focusing on theeconomic consequences of the metabolicsyndrome, is being planned for later in theyear and will be tailored to those involvedwith the development and application ofagro-food technologies. The workshop willuse ‘case studies’ of food products from theEU market to focus on the opportunitiesand barriers for using agro-foodtechnologies as a means of tackling some ofthe public health issues that we are facedwith today, such as the metabolic syndrome.Further findings from the economics work-package will also be shared.

H E A LT H C A R E C O S T S30 AUGUST 2005


Source: LMC

PREMIUM VS MARKET SHARE FOR HEALTHY FOODS – BROILER CHICKENS (US DATA)

Source: LMC

PREMIUM VS MARKET SHARE FOR HEALTHY FOODS – BEEF (US DATA)

Without government

intervention, the combination of

high input costs, alongside

consumers’ unwillingness to pay

much of a premium for healthy

products, will condemn healthy

foods to a series of mostly small

niches in the market.

N E W P R O D U C T SAUGUST 2005 31

BEVERAGESWoman On Top Inc Slimmer You H2O Bottled Water Made with the appetite suppressant SuperCitramax. Literature states,“contains chromium, potassium and calcium.”

with Appetite SuppressantCampbell Soup Co. V8 Splash Juice Beverage Regular V8 Splash Juice comes in Tropical Blend and Berry Blend flavours. Package text reads,“Rich in vitamins A, C &

E – A berry flavoured beverage of 6 juices from concentrate with other natural flavours.” Wild Fruitz Beverages Inc. Wild Fruitz Sparkling Juice New Pomegranate Black Currant is said to contain between 25-38% real fruit juice, all natural flavours, cane sugar and

sparkling water.Frutzzo Natural Juice, LLC Frutzzo All Natural 100% Juice Available in Pomegranate Blueberry, Pomegranate Cherry, Pomegranate Mango, Pomegranate Raspberry and 100%

Pomegranate varieties. Literature states,“100 percent juice – Rich in antioxidants – All natural – No sugar added – No preservatives – Flash pasteurized.”

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. Ocean Spray Organic 100% Available in Cranberry, Cranberry Blueberry and Cranberry Raspberry varieties. Literature states,“Organic 100%Juice Blends Juice Blends contain no added sugars, preservatives, or artificial flavours, just natural berry goodness in every sip.”

Sunny Delight Beverages Co SunnyD Reduced Sugar Drink In a Lower Sugar Citrus Punch flavour, the reduced sugar drink label is flagged,“50 percent less sugar than tangy original – 100 percent vitamin C – Contains 5 percent juice – Refrigerate after purchase.”

Old Orchard Brands, LLC Old Orchard 100% Juice Blueberry Pomegranate is the new flavour. It “contains no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives and 130 percent of the Daily Value of vitamin C.”

EAS, Inc AdvantEdge Essential Energy Available in Creamy Vanilla and Creamy Chocolate flavours.According to literature, the beverage can be used as a Nutrition Shake meal replacement or as a snack and is targeted at women who “need the energy good nutrition provides to juggle

work, family and life.” NVE Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Stacker 2 Protein Water Literature states,“With crisp, tangy perfection and the power that 20g of protein packs, you’ll love the great taste that

Stacker 2’s Protein Water can provide, 0 carbs – 0 sugar”Sambazon Sambazon Frozen Smoothie Mix Literature states,“Get the stuff that started it all – and make your own exotic, high-energy smoothies and bowls.”Seven Up, Inc. 7-Up Plus Caffeine Free Fruit Juice Available in new Cherry and Island Fruit flavours. Package text for the Cherry flavoured drink reads,“2g carbs per (Cadbury-Schweppes) Drinks serving – Fruit juice – Calcium – Sweetened with Splenda Brand – 7 Up plus juice – Natural & artificially flavoured

cherry drink.” Coca-Cola Co. Diet Coke Soft Drink with Splenda Package text states,“Sweetened with Splenda Brand – Very low sodium.” Lipton Co. (Unilever) Citrus flavoured Lipton Regular Label is flagged,“With citrus natural flavours – Naturally protective antioxidants – AOX – Low sodium.”

and Diet Green Teas

BREAD Stroehmann Bakeries, Inc. Stroehmann Dutch Country Bread The 22oz. (624g) sliced Bread is sold in a plastic bag that states,“Contains omega-3 essential nutrients.”

in Flax & Grains

CONFECTIONARYJelly Belly Candy Co. Jelly Belly Sport Beans Energizing Promotional material states that the jelly beans “are larger (than) traditional-sized jelly beans” and, are targeted

Jelly Beans toward today’s active adults.They are said to be formulated to energize the body during exercise. Each one-ounce serving “contains 25g of carbohydrates, 20 percent of the RDA for vitamins C and E, and 120mg of electrolytes to boost energy and prevent dehydration.”

CEREALSKellogg North America Special K Cereal – Fruit & Yogurt A new variety of Kellogg’s Special K Cereal, described as “rice and wheat flakes with oat & fruit clusters and yogurt-

coated clusters,” the woman-targeted cereal’s label copy reads,“Low fat – 120 calories per serving – 10 vitamins & minerals.”

AltiPlano Gold Instant Organic Oaxacan The newest flavour in the AltiPlano Gold line of Instant Hot Quinoa Cereal(s). Literature states,“For those wanting a Chocolate healthy, delicious, high-protein and high fibre meal,AltiPlano Gold offers a 75 percent organic, all natural product.”

Packets are flagged,“Naturally high in protein, fibre and calcium.” The product is promoted in literature as “Gluten free – Wheat free – Dairy and casein free– Soy free.”

Zoe’s Foods Zoe’s O’s Whole Grain Package copy reads “High fibre 5g – Protein 4g – Heart Healthy – Excellent source of ALA Omega-3 – Flax & Soy Cereal 800mg/serving.”

Health Valley Co. Health Valley Organic Fiber Label copy states,“9g fibre – Made with organic whole grains – Good source of protein and 6 B-vitamins – All Wise Cereal natural.”

Malt-O-Meal Co. Malt-O-Meal Scooters Whole Targeted towards kids, the box features the “Heart healthy” stamp on the front. It is said to contain 4g of sugar per Grain Oat Cereal serving, 50% DV of vitamins (antioxidants), minerals, to be an excellent source of iron and folic acid.

Quaker Cap’N Crunch’s Swirled Berries Sweetened Touted in packaging as having “1/3 less sugar than Cap’N Crunch’s Original Crunch Berries Cereal.” Flagged,Corn & Oat Cereal “Excellent source of iron & B-vitamins – Good source of vitamins A & C.”

CHIPSFrito Lay Inc. Frito Lay Doritos 75 Calorie Packs Light Nacho Cheesier Tortilla Chips may be purchased in a 4-count box (3 1/2oz. – 99.2g) containing individual 7/8oz.

bags. Package text reads,“1/3 fewer calories than regular tortilla chips – 1g of fat per serving – Portion control for sensible snacking.”

DAIRY & DAIRY SUBSTITITESDanone Silhouette Smoothie Yogurt Drink Available in a new Strawberry-Kiwi flavour.“Sweetened with Splenda,” the “fat free” beverage comes in a 200ml

plastic bottle. Sold in a 4-count sleeve flagged,“80 calories.”


FUNCTIONAL & HEALTHY EATING NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHESEach month we summarise recent new product launches from around the world.• Part 1 and 2 USA • Part 3 and 4 Rest of the World

American new product roll-out information is a custom-made report provided for New Nutrition Business exclusively by Marketing IntelligenceService Ltd. They can be contacted at:

Marketing Intelligence Service,Ltd.6473D,Route 64Naples,New York 14512-9726 USATelephone:Phone: (585) 374 6326 Fax: (585) 374 5217E-mail:[email protected] comprehensive productscan database can be visited atwww.productscan.com

Company Brand Description

PART 1 USA – FOODS AND BEVERAGES

N E W P R O D U C T SAUGUST 200532


White Wave, Inc Silk Live! Smoothie A Live-Cultured Flavoured Drink, it contains “six active cultures, along with omega-3 and other vitamins and minerals.” Sold in single serving 10floz. (295ml) plastic bottles, label copy states,“7g protein from natural soy – 19 vitamins & minerals – Calcium rich – Dairy free – 6 live & active cultures – 280mg omega-3.”

DESSERTSKraft Foods, Inc. Kraft Handi-Snacks Baskin 31 These puddings have been “reformulated to contain zero grams of trans fat and all flavours contain 100 calories or

Robbins Puddings less.” The kosher dairy pudding comes in a 3.5oz single serving plastic cup.

FRUITS & FRUIT SIDE DISHESDel Monte Fresh Produce Co. Hass Avocados Avocados are claimed to be sodium free, cholesterol free, as well as an excellent source of potassium, dietary fibre

and vitamin C, while boasting a healthy dose of magnesium, folate, riboflavin, vitamins E and B6.Tamaya Gourmet Tamaya Gourmet Hand Selected Literature states,“Bright yellow colour, smooth and slightly crunchy texture – The Chilean Carica from Tamaya

Chilean Carica Gourmet is a rare fruit from a semi desert area in the North of Chile, called Limari Valley... It is a boutique fruit used as an extremely versatile gourmet product... (It) is completely natural, with no preservatives used in its bottling...This Chilean fruit is a natural source of calcium, vitamin C, iron and fibre.”

Nature’s First Law Certified Organic Goji Berries Touted as “world-renowned to be one of the most nutritionally-rich foods on earth.A deep-red, dried fruit about thesame size as a raisin,” the Goji berry is said to taste somewhat like a cross between a cranberry and a cherry.The “Sun dried super fruit” is available in an 8oz bag priced at $12.99, and in a 2.5lb bag.The fruit is said to contain 18 kinds of amino acids, up to 21 trace minerals, and to be the richest source of carotenoids.

ICE CREAM, NOVELTIES & FROZEN YOGHURTCaffe Classico Foods, Inc. Belizza All Natural Fresh Offered in new 100% Fat Free Non-Dairy Acai,Acai Banana and Acai Mango flavours the sorbet is sold in 1 pint

Fruit Sorbet (473ml) round cartons.The labels are tagged,“The healthiest pleasure in the universe.” Acai is said to provide sustained energy, mental focus, to be loaded with protein, essential amino acids, electrolytes and vitamin E and to be comparable to biting into a blueberry filled with soft, dark chocolate. Other varieties available in this size are Blackberry Cabernet and Pomegranate.

MEALS & ENTREES, PIZZA, HOT SNACKS & SANDWICHESCallaway Consumer Products, Organic Bistro Frozen Whole Grilled Salmon with Braised Kale and Cranberry Pilaf is flagged,“5000mg Omega 3 – Certified organic – Naturally LLC Life Meals rich in essential vitamins and minerals.” Literature states,“25% daily requirement of iron – Low glycemic ingredients –

Low sodium – 100% daily requirement of vitamin A.”

PASTA & PASTA SIDE DISHESLes Aliments O'Sole Mio Inc. O'Sole Mio La Passione Della Products are “made with all-natural pasteurized ingredients…no preservatives or additives.” Flagged:“No trans fat –

Cucina Italiana Omega-3 Pastas No preservatives or M.S.G. added – Fresh pasta made with 100 percent Canadian durum semolina and fresh omega-3eggs – Source of omega-3 fatty acids.”

Vitalicious, Inc. Vitalicious Natural & Delicious VitaBrownies labels are flagged,“Only 100 delicious calories – - 6g fibre – License to eat chocolate.” Each VitaBrownieVitaBrownie is claimed to be made with whole wheat, to have 4g of protein, 15 vitamins and minerals, no trans-fat, no cholesterol

and no artificial additives or preservatives.

POPCORNGeneral Mills, Inc. Pop-Secret 100 Calorie Pop Comes in Butter and Kettle Corn varieties. Label copy reads,“With real Land O Lakes butter – Natural and artificial

Premium Microwave Popcorn flavour – 10 Snack size bags.” Each bag of popcorn is said to contain 100 calories.

SNACK BARSQuaker Oats Co. Quaker Crunchy Oats, Nuts & Featuring the “Smart choices made easy” seal the package is flagged,“Good source of 7 vitamins & minerals – 25

Honey Granola Snack Bars percent of recommended daily whole-grains – 0g trans fat – Flavoured with other natural flavours.” Organic Food Bar, Inc. Organic Food Bar Snack Bar Available in new Blueberry and Cranberry flavours. Literature states,“with enzyme active organic sprouts – 10g of

healthy fats – 12g of protein – No trans fatty acids – No refined sugars – Over 2000mg of phytonutrient rich sprouts.” Literature further states,“Cold processed – High energy – 100 percent organic – 100 percent vegetarian – Gluten free – GMO free – Up to 100 percent raw – No preservatives, additives, salt, coatings, refined sugar, soy,peanuts or dairy.”

PowerBar Inc. PowerBar Triple Threat Crisp Each bar is said to be fortified with sixteen vitamins and minerals, to have a balance of carbohydrates, protein and Energy Snack Bar fibre, to contain 220 to 230 calories per bar and to be free of trans-fats.

EAS, Inc. AdvantEdge Essential Energy Bar Targeted to women, the Bar is presented in a 1.76oz. (50g) laminate wrapper that reads,“Energy for your active lifestyle – Advanced energy blend – Dietary supplement.”

Hershey Foods Corp. PayDay ProHigh Protein Energy Bar Contains 15 grams of protein and 14 vitamins and minerals.D’Andrea Brothers, LLC Hooah! Energy Bar Said to contain complex carbohydrates and premium natural ingredients and soy and wheat protein, the single-serve,

hand held Bar has no trans fat and 17 vitamins and minerals.Quaker Oats Co. Fruit & Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Ffagged,“Less sugar – Low fat – Og trans fat – Calcium rich – 9 vitamins & minerals.”

SNACKS, OTHERGeneral Mills, Inc Betty Crocker Fruit Smoothie Label copy states, "Made with real fruit juice - 300 percent DV vitamin C - A good source of calcium - Fun fruity

Blitz Fruit Snacks swirls!" General Mills, Inc. Betty Crocker Fruit By The Foot A “new green and yellow patterned roll bursting with a proven, top-turning tropical flavour kids love.” Label

Fruit Rolls copy states,“Made with real fruit – Excellent source of vitamin C – Peel in half for 6 feet of fun!”QTG Canada Inc. Quaker Crispy Minis Rice Chips are available in Sea Salt & Lime flavour, flagged,“0g trans fat.” Claimed to be made with

sunflower oil for extra goodness and flavour, to have a mere 2g of fat and 60 calories per 14g serving.

Country Life Vitamins Omega Mom Dietary Supplements Softgels with added EFAs (essential fatty acids).A Prenatal variety is “formulated with DHA from fish oil, to support healthy fetal development; fetal eye and brain development including nerve and neurological support; bone,cardiovascular and immune system function for the mother; and soothing of the digestive tract.” Includes Omega 3, 6 and 9 from fish and borage oils, GLA for cardiovascular health and vitamin B-12 for additional support. Postpartum Omega Mom is “The first EFA product specifically designed for postpartum women – Important nutrients for infant brain development – DHA for postpartum mood support.” Literature states “No artificial colour or flavour, yeast,corn, wheat, gluten, lactose, sodium, sugar, starch, nut products or preservatives.”

Country Life Vitamins Country Life Omega Relief Said to contain essential fatty acids (EFAS), and a botanical combination for joint and muscle health and the reduction Dietary Supplement Softgels of muscle discomfort.According to literature, the product contains no artificial colour, artificial flavour, yeast, corn,

wheat, gluten, lactose, sodium, sugar, starch, nut products or preservatives.Twinlab Corp. Twinlab Krill Essentials Cardio Krill Oil, Joint Krill Oil and PMS Krill Oil Softgels are flagged,“Blended with 100% pure patented NKO(tm)

Supplement Softgels krill oil – Superior antioxidant activity – 48 x’s higher – Unique marine flavonoids – Clinically shown to be effective – - PCB/heavy metal free softgels.”

Enzymatic Therapy, Inc. Enzymatic Therapy bp Manager Literature says “a unique herbal blend that works in harmony with the body to support blood pressure in natural andDietary Supplement healthy ways.” The Tablets are said to contain a proprietary blend that includes stevia leaf extract, hawthorne extract,

olive leaf extract, dandelion leaf and lycopene. Copy reads,“Contains no sugar, salt, yeast, wheat, gluten, corn, dairy products, artificial flavouring, preservatives or ingredients of animal origin.All colours used are from natural sources.”

PART 2 USA – DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

N E W P R O D U C T SAUGUST 2005 33


BAKERYIndia Industrias Rodríguez Virginias Nova Forma A sugar-free and fructose-free chocolate chip cookie with eight vitamins, folic acid, calcium, iron and

magnesium. Said to be great for people on diets also has a bifidus effect.UK Warburtons Healthy Inside Claimed to be the UK’s first prebiotic bread, due to added inulin.

BEVERAGESMalaysia Super Coffeemix Cafe Nova An arabica instant coffee with added oligofructose. Oligofructose is said to stimulate bifido-bacteria, at

Manufacturing the same time, the presence of less desirable bacteria is significantly reduced. Each pack contains 25 x 17g sticks which are halal certified.

South Korea Hyundai Pharma Healthy Oligo Prime Claimed to contain vitamin C, and xylo oligosaccharides from soy bean. It is said to be good for the Drink intestines.

Hong Kong Rocchetta Acqua Minerale Naturale A natural mountain spring water which can purify the body, eliminate toxins, help dislodge excess waste that could lead to cellulite or fat deposits, empower the metabolism and revitalise the skin. Said to be naturally low in mineral salts.

China Green Health Luobuma Niyaren Tea made with luobuma, a rare wild medicinal plant known also as apocynum hendersoii or bluish dogbane. It has a history in curing, reducing and preventing high blood pressure, and slowing down the ageing process.The manufacturer says it is non-toxic, and has no side effects.

Netherlands Goodlife Yagua Vitality Juice A 100% natural fruit juice with added vitamins and plant extracts. It contains no ‘E’ numbers, is lactose-free and made from pure juice. It is said to purify the body from within, harmonising the metabolism and intestinal activity.

Poland Tymbark Tymbark Fit Acerola i Pomarancza is a low calorie orange and acerola flavoured drink with L-carnitine. Claimed to support the reduction of fatty tissue and prevent flab rebuild with no "yo-yo" effect.

Austria Sportfit Kneipp Active Harmonie Kirsche-Aloe Vera ('harmony', cherry, aloe vera with vanilla & physalis flavours);Ausgleich Traube-Johanniskraut ('balance', grape & St. John's wort); and Belebung Apfel-Sanddorn ('revitalisation' apple & sallow thorn) are claimed to harmonise body and soul and contain vitamins.

Germany Hassia & Luisen Bizzl Two new variants: Redacevita (blood orange and carrot flavour, enriched with vitamins A, C, and E); andMineralquellen Aloevita (orange, maracuja, mango and aloe vera juices and enriched with vitalising substances claimed

to strengthen the immune system) are new to the brand.Malaysia Sante De Pharma Santé A green tea drink, with hydrolysed bird nest and collagen from marine extracts, said to have the

original taste of delicious green tea. It is claimed to be good for the skin, providing texture, resiliency and shape, making the body firmer and more trim, and hair and nails glossy.

BREAKFAST CEREALSSpain Aceites la Masía Masia Cuida-T A range of healthy cereals comprising: Balance with blackcurrants, which is gluten and wheat free and

enriched with fibre and vitamins; and Energy with coconut, raisins and apple pieces, which is enriched with calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.

China Tepin Jiangzhi Cereal Shizhang Oat flakes which can adjust cholesterol levels.They are said to be good for health.Improved

DAIRYItaly Latteria Sociale Merano Yogurt Alta Digeribilità A strawberry flavoured yoghurt with at least a 95% reduced lactose content. Said to be highly

digestible, sugar free, low-fat and rich in fibre.Italy Unilever Maya Pro-Activ Pro-Activ is a probiotic milk-based drink with added vegetable sterol, an ingredient used in food,

beverages and dietary supplements to lower the cholesterol level and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Range comprises: Bianco (plain); and Fragola (strawberry flavour).

UK Total Probiotics Total Probiotics A Greek yoghurt with omega-3 and omega-6 acids which also contains added fibre and 2% fat.Spain Danone Bio Soya Frutas Exoticas An exotic fruit flavoured yoghurt with mango and papaya. It contains bifidus bacillus, which helps keep

intestines healthy.Spain Danone Danone Actimel Now also available in a strawberry variant, in a pack of six 93ml bottles.Spain Danone Danone Bio Fibras A natural yoghurt with sesame seeds and fibre, containing bifidus bacillus. It is claimed to provide 1/3

of the daily requirement of fibre.Spain Pur Natur Pur Natur A certified organic and ecological yoghurt made with aloe vera and passionfruit.Spain Nestlé Nestlé Sveltesse 0% A fat free yoghurt flavoured with muesli and strawberries. Claimed to contain 0% fat.China Danone Danone Acti-Fresh An original flavoured yoghurt drink packaged in a 250ml plastic bottle. It contains beneficial bacteria

for the digestive system.China Danone Danone Acti-Fresh A sweet orange flavoured variant contains beneficial bacteria which help the digestive system, and is

packaged in a 250ml plastic bottle.UK Nestlé Ski BioVita A strawberry flavour 0% fat probiotic, fermented milk drink with sugars and sweeteners. Contains the

culture LC1 which is said to help strengthen the immune system.Also available in this range:Aloe Vera.UK Tesco Tesco A low fat pro biotic orange yoghurt drink containing L.acidophilus LA-5 which is said to help maintain

a healthy digestive system and are suitable for vegetarians. It contains soluble dietry fibre. Strawberry;and Original also available.

Japan Meiji Dairies Meiji Burgaria Yoghurt A reduced-sugar yoghurt which uses only moderately acidic lactic acid bacteria. In comparison to MeijiTokachi Yogurt it has 34% less sugar.

Japan Takanashi Milk Products Onaka He GG! A vitamin C fortified low-fat yoghurt with probiotic LGG bacteria and 1500mg of collagen.Japan Takanashi Milk Products Onaka He GG! A sugarless, fibre-fortified and low-fat yoghurt with probiotic LGG bacteria.New Zealand Easiyo Easiyo A make-at-home drinking yoghurt, in wildberry flavour. Contains billions of live cultures and is low in

fat. It contains the probiotic FloraFit Boost system that helps strengthen the immune system.China Bright Dairy Group Danone New under the Danone Brand is Yoghurt, a whole milk yoghurt in a haw flavour, which is rich in BE80 –

a beneficial bacteria.China Danone Danone Whole milk yoghurt in original flavour, rich in BE80 beneficial bacteria, in a 190g bottle.Chile Nestlé Nestlé Svelty Activ This cultured dairy beverage is formulated with fibre, green tea, and calcium, as well as Lineactis

complex to maintain a healthy and balanced body.The fat- and sugar-free product features a Piña Pineapple flavour.

Chile Surlat Industrial Bio Kaiku Yoghurt de Formulated with active GG and bifidus lactobacillus to reinforce bodily functions.South Korea Dr Chung’s Food Vegemil Soy Bio-7 Milk Claimed to contain L.acidophilus, L.casei, S.thermophilus and B.lactis. It is said to be rich in fibre and is

Frutilla Strawberry Yoghurt available in an apple flavour.Finland Danone Danone Actimel A probiotic yoghurt drink with cranberry and raspberry flavour. It contains 0.1% fat and L.Casei

Defensis bacteria to help support the body’s natural defences.

PART 3 REST OF THE WORLD – FOOD & BEVERAGE

Country Company Brand Description

New product information for Rest of the World is sourced from Mintel’s GNPD (Global New Products Database), which can be visited atwww.gnpd.com. Mintel can be contacted at 18-19 Long Lane, London EC1A 9PL, U.K.. Tel. +44-(0)20-7606-4533, Fax +44-(0)20-7600-3327.

N E W P R O D U C T SAUGUST 200534

Austria Nöm Nöm Vital + A range of low sugar, low fat yoghurts with Vitalstoff-Komplex, a fomulation with calcium, L-carnithin,vitamins C, D, and E, folic acid and fibre.Targeted at 50+, the range comprises: Erdbeer (strawberry);Heidelbeer-Brombeer (blueberry & bramble); and Natur (plain).

Italy Valsoia Soiattiva Yosoi Multidrink A vegetable, dietetic, soy- based, forest fruit flavoured drink. Contains selected and controlled ingredients with probiotic ferments.A source of vitamins, active ferments, calcium and fibre. It containsfructose.

UK Tesco Pro Biotric Strawberry Contains L. acidophilus LA-5 cultures and is packaged in a 500g bottle, which contains five Yoghurt Drink servings. It is a low fat product and is suitable for vegetarians.

Turkey Danone Sütas Yovita A pack of Sade (plain) yoghurts containing Acidophilis and Bifidus, which are claimed to help improve digestion within two weeks. Does not contain any additives or preservatives.Available in two other varieties: with dried plum & cereal, and with muesli.

France Carrefour Lactus Nature Sucré A fermented, sweetened milk drink with Lactobacillus casei.Portugal Lactogal AdagioCol A cholesterol-reducing strawberry flavoured drinking yoghurt. Packaging states: “each bottle is a daily-

dose to reduce cholesterol.” Also available in a tropical fruit variety.Russia Danone Danone Actimel Raspberry and cranberry flavoured probiotic yoghurt drinks with L. Casei Defensis.This product is

claimed to improve digestion and fortify the immune system.Russia Danone Danone Activia A sour milk drink with prune additives. It contains essensis bifido bacteria which is claimed to improve

digestion. Results are claimed to be shown after two weeks of every day use.Germany Nordmilch Milram Vitality Molke + Tee Drink Ohne Fett Grüntee mit Papaya-Mango, a whey and tea drink with green tea and

mango & papaya juice without fat.Netherlands Danone Danone Activia Abrikoos An apricot flavoured yoghurt with bifidus essensis. Product replaces a kiwi variant.

YoghurtChina Harbin Subsidiary Crown A milk powder claimed to be made with high quality milk, according to the dietary habits and

physiological requirements of the aged. Contains added vitamins, trace elements, bifidobacterium bifidum proliferation factor and honey, and is rich in calcium, vitamin C, vitamin E and B-carotene.Product is low fat and contains no sucrose.

UK Müller Müller Vitality A low fat probiotic yoghurt drink with a vanilla flavour. Contains probiotic bacteria La-5 Lactobacillus and Bb-12 Bifidobacterium

Poland Okregowa Spoldzielnia Krasnystaw Jogus Truskawkowy Jogus Probiotyk is a strawberry flavoured probiotic yoghurt drink with streptococcus Mleczarska thermophilous, lactobacillus delbrueckii SSP bulgaris, La-5, and Bb-12.Also available in Forest Fruit

flavour.UK Morrisons Morrisons Probiotic Orange flavoured low fat dairy drink with lactobacillus casei aids a healthy digestion.A pack contains 4

x 100g bottles.Belgium Danone Danone Actimel Fruits Rouges is a red fruits flavoured variety of the probiotic yoghurt drink said to contain L. Casei

Imunitass, Claimed to be low in sugar, with 0% fat Malaysia Malaysia Milk Marigold A yoghurt drink including: Mixed Berries; and Passionfruit & Pear.These products contain probiotic

cultures, calcium, and fruit juice, are free from fat and are halal certified.Malaysia Nestlé Nestlé Nespray A yoghurt range extension, including: Orange; and Strawberry Yoghurt.They contain live cultures and

are enriched with protein, zinc, calcium and vitamin D.According to the manufacturer, two tubs of Nespray contain the same amount of calcium as one 250ml glass of milk.

Belgium Danone Danacol A yoghurt drink claimed to reduce cholesterol with plant extracts, has been extended with Exotische Vruchten (exotic fruits) flavour.

Czech Republic Obory Jovi Fitness Line A passionfruit flavoured milk yoghurt drink with L-carnitin and active microflora bifidobacteria and L.acidophilus.

Portugal Danone Danone Bio Activia Chá A red tea and raspberry flavoured probiotic drink, with bifidus activo, said to regulate intestinal function.Also includes Tea & Lychee and Tea & Red Apple variants.

Poland Alpro Alpro Soja A vanilla flavoured soya milk with calcium and vitamin E. Is said to be free from cholesterol, lactose,artificial colouring, artificial flavouring and nuts. It is 100% vegetable with omega-3, omega-6 and naturalisoflavones.Also available is Chocolate Soya Milk.

Netherlands Danone Danone Actimel Actimel probiotic drinks have been extended with a light variant, containing less calories, less sugar,sweeteners and 0.1% fat.

South Korea Seoul Milk Seoul Milk Yogurt drinks Claim t have benefits for the liver.This probiotic drink contains hovenia dulcis extract, tomato extract and is enriched with eight vitamins.

South Korea Binggrae Yoplait Jangbogo Yogurt Drinks Eenriched with dietary fibre, this functional product contains thermophilus,acidophilus, and bifidus cultures which are claimed to maintain balance in the bowels and intestines.

MEALS & MEAL SUPPLEMENTSGermany Homann Feinkost Homann Salat Buffet A curry turkey breast salad with yoghurt, which contains only 10% fat, omega-3 fatty acids and is made

Curry Putenbrustsalat without preservatives, packaged in a 200g tub.mit Joghurt

Australia Ricegrowers Sun Rice Basmati Indian aromatic rice claimed to be ideal for curries, Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. Has a low glycaemic index and is 99% fat-free, also claimed to be low in salt, cholesterol- and gluten-free.

PROCESSED FISH, MEAT & EGG PRODUCTSSpain Casademont Casademont Bífidus A range of meat and poultry products with active bifidus comprising: Bio York, ham; Bio Pavo, turkey;

Activo and Bio Pollo, chicken.Mexico Intercarnes Parma Sabori Jamón de Pierna Extrafino enriched with omega-3 and -6 from linseed, and contains no added salt.

SNACKSNew Zealand Annies Marlborough Annies FibreFruit Fibre fruit bars offer a new approach to slow release energy and digestive health. Each bar is said to

contain fibre from psyllium, vitamin C and nutrition from fruit, omegas from flaxseed and isoflavines from soy. Fibre fruit also contains Annies Fibre Sweet (inulin).This natural plant fibre directly feeds the bacteria that assist with gut health. Fibre fruits are free of gluten, dairy, nuts, added sugar and yeast.

UK Bio Synergy Bio Synergy Chocolate & Fortified with vitamins and minerals, in a smooth dark chocolate flavour coating with Caramel protein bar sweetener, this product is suitable for those following a GI diet. It is claimed that GI Sense has a 70%

lower impact on blood sugar levels than equivalent bars.

SWEETENERS & SUGARSouth Korea Lotte Confectionery Lotte Health 1 A fruit sugar said to be a natural alternative to cane sugar. It has a low glycaemic index and is said to

be naturally sweeter than normal sugar. It is suitable for diabetics and for use on a low calorie diet.

WEIGHT CONTROLIndonesia Cott Beverages Slim-Lite A zero-calorie diet soft-drink that also serves as an appetite suppressant.The formula contains

Citrimax, an appetite suppressant derived from the Asian fruit Garcinia Cambogia. Contains no carbohydrates and is said to be a dietary supplement.

I M P O R TA N T N O T I C EAUGUST 2005 35


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THE FOOD & HEALTH MARKETING HANDBOOK

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NOW AVAILABLE IN PDF ONLY – HARD COPIES ARE SOLD OUT!

Succeeding in today’s world of wellness foods takes more than just innovative nutritional scienceand technology. Get your nutritional marketing strategy wrong, and your product is heading fora graveyard already filled with some very illustrious names. Get it right, and it’s your product thatwins with consumers, time and time again.

The Food and Health Marketing Handbook is the tried and trusted nutritional marketing toolused by hundreds of successful companies around the world. Ingredients producers andmanufacturers of wellness foods and nutritional beverages across the globe use (and reuse) TheFood and Health Marketing Handbook, as they seek to capitalise on the science and health benefitsof their products.

Now in its third reprint since its 2003 launch, The Food and Health Marketing Handbook is packedwith the information you’ll need for your product to succeed on the international food-health stage.Using 20 detailed real-life case studies, clear and relevant statistics and a wealth of market insightspanning ten years of wellness foods, The Food and Health Marketing Handbook is the completeguide to getting your nutritional marketing strategy right.

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A TIPPING POINT FOR HEALTH, A TURNING POINT FOR FUNCTIONAL

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2005 is a watershed year for the global food industry. It is the year in which health andnutrition have become the issue for food companies around the world. And it’s the year – asMars recent announcement underscores - that several major corporations have broken withthe past and taken their first strategic steps towards an inevitable future in health – becausetheir future commercial survival and success necessitates that they ‘get healthy’.

2005 is also the year that 10 key trends have crystallised that will continue to dictate how theglobal food industry approaches nutrition and health into the foreseeable future. These 10megatends are a dominant force for the business of food, nutrition and health that noindustry player can afford to ignore.

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N EW UTRITION BUSINESS · 2014-03-25 · BUSINESS THE JOURNAL FOR HEALTHY EATING, FUNCTIONAL FOODS...

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