PepsiCo’s Aquafina water brand has unveiled the Aquafina Bio flavoured water in Thailand. The flavoured water contains vitamin E, an antioxidant, that protects the cells against oxidative damage from free radicals.
Aquafina Bio has three flavours and each comes with different ingredients:
Pink guava – 1,000mg of collagen and vitamin E
Lemon lavender – vitamin E, biotic and zinc
Orange rose – vitamin C (helps with the production of collagen), vitamin E and zinc
Aquafina Bio is associating itself with the functional beauty segment by providing Thai consumers with another option, this time flavoured water, to achieve better skin complexion.
China’s largest dairy producer Yili held an event in Singapore on 19 September 2019 to announce the official launch of its sub-brand Ambrosial in Southeast Asia. The launch event also saw the appointment of Alfa Romeo Racing as the partner of Ambrosial.
As part of the partnership, Ambrosial, Yili’s rich and creamy Greek-style drinking yoghurt, will feature on the Alfa Romeo Racing cars from the Singapore Grand Prix onwards.
Ambrosial is produced with signature yoghurt cultures developed by the Agricultural University of Athens in Greece to provide a unique Greek-style drinking experience of rich and creamy indulgence.
Ambrosial launched in Southeast Asia is available in three types of packaging for convenience, namely Tetra-Pak, Tetra-Top and PET Bottle, as well as five flavors – original, blueberry, strawberry, yellow peach & oats and mango & passion fruit.
What we think
Mini Me Insights has been tracking the development of Ambrosial in Southeast Asia for the past few years. The initial euphoria for Ambrosial was largely driven by the ethnic Chinese communities in Southeast Asia especially in Malaysia and to a lesser extent Singapore. It was the independent distributors that sourced the products from China and sold them through online and in brick-and-mortar stores in Southeast Asia.
Now, it appears Yili has officially appointed local distributors in the respective countries in Southeast Asia as the company deepens its engagement in the local market.
The problem with Ambrosial is the existing range of products may not be attractive enough to generate buzz among consumers who are already accustomed to Ambrosial.
Ambrosial at 7-Eleven in Singapore, September 2019. Image credit: Minimeinsights.com
Stronger marketing, better pricing and newer flavours would potentially renew consumer interest in Ambrosial.
Chinese dairy companies have an image issue in Southeast Asia. In the minds of Southeast Asian consumers, Chinese dairy products would most likely score low in perceived quality compared to Australian or New Zealand dairy products. Moreover, consumer image of Chinese dairy is still largely shaped by the melamine-laced baby formula tragedy more than 10 years ago.
The strategy of Mengniu in Indonesia is to stress how its YoyiC brand is widely consumed in more developed markets like Singapore and Hong Kong. Plus, the YoyiC brand is regarded as a Superbrand in Singapore, which taps into Indonesians’ high regard for Singapore quality.
Yili does not have the privilege of having a head start in Southeast Asia unlike Mengniu where it has the chance to develop the YoyiC brand in Singapore for several years. Associating the Ambrosial brand with F1 seems to be an interesting approach but does it resonate with millennial who would be the potential consumer? Ambrosial needs to project a youthful image in Southeast Asia.
Ambrosial and its youthful endorsers in China
Chinese dairy players should maximise their strength in texture and flavour innovation plus making their products millennial-friendly (eg Yili Joy Day) and this should be the route Chinese dairy companies should take in Southeast Asia.
Mengniu Monmilk Just Pure Grapefruit flavour newly launched in Singapore
Vietnam’s TH Group has added a new range of chilled drinking yogurt with a unique thick and creamy texture under the TH true Yogurt range. The new product has to be kept at a temperature of 4˚C -8˚C and has an expiry date of 60 days from the date of production.
TH true Yogurt Think and Creamy is available in peach and caramel. The fresh milk comes from TH’s dairy farms. The protein on a per 100ml basis is 2.3g.
The price for a pack of 4x170ml is VND 42,000 (USD 1.8), which is 40% more expensive than the existing TH true Yogurt UHT at VND 30,000.
Thicker and creamier yogurt is the way forward for the drinking yogurt category as it helps to satisfy consumer growing interest in texture. Thicker yogurt also offers satiety benefit for those who want a quick grab-and-go breakfast or snack in-between meals.
In Malaysia, Dutch Lady Milk Industries Berhad has introduced Dutch Lady UHT Recombined Mini Chocolate Flavoured Milk 125ml – RM 1 pack at selected traditional trade.
Malaysian consumers see products with the RM 1.00 price tag as a highly affordable price point. Many FMCG companies including Mondelez, F&N, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have in the past introduced RM 1 products in both the modern and traditional channels.
The new RM 1 Dutch Lady Mini would help encourage more Malaysians to consume milk on a regular basis.
Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd has unveiled interesting figures from its new foodservice business. At the moment, the dairy company is supplying to more than 250 cafes and 195 hotels and bakeries nationwide, said Dutch Lady Consumer Dairy Marketing Director Ramjeet Kaur Virik at the sidelines of the the Food and Hotel Malaysia Expo 2019.
According to Virik, the reason Dutch Lady enters the foodservice business is to encourage Malaysians to drink more milk and the most effective way of reaching out to Malaysians is by tapping into the eating out trend. This way, the company can cultivate the habit of drinking milk in the daily life of the consumer.
To build the business in the foodservice industry in Malaysia, Dutch Lady is looking at opportunities firstly in cafes and to a lesser extend milk tea and secondly in baking for hotels and bakeries.
Be the best milk partner for cafes with Perfect Serve
Milk is an important part of the cafe business with milk alone accounts for 50-75% of the content in latte, cappuccino and flat white, said Virik. As part of Dutch Lady’s involvement in the café industry, the company has partnered with the Malaysia Specialty Coffee Association (MSCA) to become their official partner for a two-year period from January 2019. This comes after Dutch Lady’s milk products scored well as part of the blind taste test carried out by the MSCA.
Dutch Lady is the official milk 2019-2020 for the Malaysia Latte Art Championship and the Malaysia Barista Championship.
What MSCA looks for in milk is the foam quality, which is used in latte art. They also like milk that offers the right balance where it “does not overpower the coffee but support the coffee”, explained Virik.
To make the best coffee, Dutch Lady has come up with the Perfect Serve concept. Four steps are needed to master the Perfect Serve:
Stretch – Angle the half-filled jug at an angle until the steam wand is 2mm under the milk’s surface.
Swirl – Lift up the jug to start the swirling process. Listen out as the milk will begin to hiss as it reaches 60°C – 65°C.
Serve – With close attention given to stretching and swirling the milk, it is now perfectly frothed and textured to serve the perfect coffee.
Save – Reap the benefits of making us your quality Milk Partner as we share the ready module to understand the figures behind each cup of milk-based coffee to maximize your profits and optimize the value of our partnership.
Making the best recipe for baking and hotel clients from a solution perspective
Milk is an important ingredient in baking including in the making of pastries, pudding, ice cream and local cakes. More people are using milk instead of santan as milk is seen as a better option, explained Virik.
Dutch Lady is already a supplier to a lot of the hotel chains. The company partners with top bakers to uncover the right amount and the type of milk to use to come up with the best recipe to serve in their premises. By supplying to hotels, Dutch Lady’s products can also become part of the breakfast offerings with milk and yogurt as well as for cooking, added Virek.
Dutch Lady Foodservice at FHM 2019. Photo credit: Minimeinsights.com
Dutch Lady is participating at Food Hotel Malaysia for the first time to build awareness among foodservice players that Dutch Lady has products for them. Virik has identified nutrition, quality (eg halal) and taste plus how Dutch Lady enhances the taste with milk as critical components for products targeting the foodservice industry.
Aims to be number one in foodservice
Dutch Lady is already number one in retail. The company hopes to be number one in foodservice as well, said Virek. Dutch Lady has different range of products from full cream, low fat to protein enriched to cater to different foodservice needs.
The products used in the foodservice sectors include the Dutch Lady Ultra-High Temperature Processing (UHT) Professional Full Cream Milk mainly for baking and the Dutch Lady Pure Farm Fresh Milk for baristas.
Dutch Lady is looking at innovation to deliver the best solution for their customers that can help them save money and make their life easier, explained Virek. Dutch Lady will be launching new products for the foodservice sector in the “next three to four months,” added Virek.
Hype Energy Drinks with its headquarters in Dubai will be entering into the Malaysia market from October 2019. This will make Malaysia the 46th market for Hype. The initial focus will be on independent outlets before making the drinks available through chained convenience stores from early 2020.
The unique thing about Hype Energy Drinks is the various interesting flavours including mojito, which will be special if the flavour makes its way into the local market.
The halal-certified Hype Energy Drinks contains taurine, carbonated water, sugar, caffeine and five B vitamins. The drink is active in the sponsorship of Apex Online Racing’s Formula 1 Leagues, Formula 1 team Sahara Force India as well as selected athletes and talented youngsters.
In Malaysia, Hype Energy Drinks are distributed by Load Drinks Global Sdn Bhd, which specialises in the import of high-quality products from around the world.
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An exclusive Moutai Cocktail in October and November
Singapore, 24 September 2019 – Modern Cantonese Mitzo Restaurant & Bar presents an indulgent Moutai Cocktail specially concocted by Head Bartender Azlam Kadir.
Known as China’s most prestigious spirit, the Moutai has a unique savoury taste with fiery flavour. Tempering the strong heady notes of the Moutai, Head Bartender Azlam combines Chocolate Bitters and Coffee Foam and balances the drink with sweet Cherry Liqueur, showcasing his expertise in mixing Asian ingredients to create a multifaceted cocktail. This smoky tipple, garnished with Mint Leaf and Rosemary, pairs perfectly with the Cantonese cuisine at Mitzo and excites the senses as a stand-alone drink of choice.
At $18++ per cocktail, guests will be taken on an electrifying journey with the Moutai Cocktail, alongside Mitzo’s signature dishes, available from 1 October to 30 November.
As reported by Pulse, Maeil Business Newspaper’s premier English-language daily, South Korea’s Shinsegae Food Co. will make available the Daebak Ghost Pepper Spicy Chicken in China in October 2019 through online and offline channels.
The Daeback Ghost Pepper Spicy Chicken is a product from its joint venture with Malaysia’s Mamee Double-Decker. The halal-certified noodle was first launched in Malaysia in March 2019 and became viral, thanks to its insanely fiery taste of 1 million on the SHU (Scoville Heat Unit) scale.
Zhejiang Orient will be the local partner in China. The expectation is for the initial batch of 200,000 noodles to be sold off by mid-October 2019.
In Taiwan and Singapore, over 90% of the initial shipments of 50,000 Daebak Ghost Pepper Spicy Chicken to the respective markets have been sold off with calls for additional orders.
Shinsegae Food and Mamee have made available their latest Daebak Habanero with 350,000 SHU in Malaysia.
According to Pulse, Shinsegae Food plans to display its Daebak Ghost Pepper Spicy Chicken and Daebak Habanero Spicy Chicken noodles at the International Import Food Expo in Shanghai in November 2019.
The iconic Milo drink is becoming eco-friendly. This comes as Nestle (Malaysia) has announced it would be the first company in Malaysia to introduce paper straws for its Milo UHT 125ml drink packs in the fourth quarter of 2019. The company will have other Milo UHT variants switching to paper straw in phases with the ultimate goal of eliminating the use of plastic straws.
Nestle Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Juan Aranols said the move represents “the latest of our contributions to Nestlé’s pledge to make our packaging 100 per cent recyclable or reusable by 2025. This is all part of our commitment to continue searching aggressively for solutions in our on-going War on Plastic Waste.”
The move towards the elimination of plastic straws in packet drinks is already a goal outlined in the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change’s (MESTECC) Malaysia Roadmap Towards Zero Single Use Plastics (2018-2030).
The guideline mentions by 2022, SKU ECO001 straw (bio straw) will be introduced including straws for packet drinks. In a way, Nestle Malaysia is preparing itself for the eventuality where the entire industry not just Nestle will have to embrace bio straws.
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