Greek yoghurt (yogurt) innovation in Southeast Asia is increasingly moving towards the most popular segment – drinkable yoghurt. Drinkable yogurt is usually the largest segment within yoghurt because of its convenience and its positioning as a lifestyle drink.
Flurry of launches in drinkable yoghurt segment
There are quite a number of drinkable yoghurt that were launched lately in Southeast Asia including Zest-O Yo! Yoghurt Drink and Yogu by Nestle in the Philippines, Dutch Mill Yogurt Drink in Indonesia and Nestle Bliss Go in Malaysia. All these are aimed at children. A few such as Nestle Bliss Plus are designed for the family.
Drinkable Greek yoghurt helps to improve consumption
However, Greek yoghurt, a premium category, only has a small share of the spoonable yoghurt market. To improve acceptance among consumers who generally consume yoghurt in the drinkable format, companies are launching drinkable Greek yoghurt to expand the premium segment further. The success of China’s ambient Greek yoghurt drink must have served as a cue.
In Thailand, the drinkable Dutchie Greek Style Yoghurt by Dutch Mill Co., Ltd. was introduced in 2017. This chilled yoghurt drink has to be stored at a temperature of 2-5°C, which means distribution is restricted to places equipped with the chilled infrastructure. Click here for the latest review of the drinkable Dutchie Greek Style Yoghurt.
Heavenly Blush, the yogurt brand of Indonesia’s Nutrifood, has expanded into the drinkable Greek yoghurt segment in June 2017. the new range adds to it existing Greek yoghurt launched in 2015 and the Greek yoghurt with granola available recently.
The new drinkable Greek yoghurt is best served chilled but is an ambient product with a six-month shelf life. It has to be kept in a cool place with no direct sunlight or heat. Click here for the latest review of Heavenly Blush Greek Yoghurt Drink.
What Mini Me thinks
Unlike yoghurt drink, which largely targets children, teenagers and family, the premium drinkable Greek yoghurt is directed at adults. The drinkable Greek yoghurt is consumed as a healthy drink or to improve their protein intake to support their active lifestyle. Moving into the drinkable segment makes it more easy for the category to engage with adults who are willing to spend money on something more premium, healthy and on-the-go.
*The last image was taken by the author. The rest comes from the brand’s respective sites.
Kiyora, the RTD tea brand from the joint venture between Japan’s Ito En and Indonesia’s Ultrajaya, has finally introduced instant matcha latte and instant milk tea. The instant matcha latte and milk tea is available since June 2017.
Original concept first appeared in 2015
The original concept was first showcased at SIAL InterFOOD 2015 in November (below) and I was told the product would likely be introduced in 2016.
Powdered instant tea represents new category
Kiroya was launched in 2014 featuring three variants Kiyora Green Tea Jasmine, Kiyora Extra Green Tea Jasmine and Kiyora Milk Tea. In 2015, Kiroya Matcha Green Tea was added to the range, followed by Kiyora Hazelnut Milk Tea and Kiyora Strawberry Milk Tea in 2016.
Kiroya’s entry into instant powdered tea marked the brand’s expansion into a new territory. The new instant powdered tea would give the brand the opportunity to showcase the authenticity and quality of its tea ingredient.
Esprecielo (Allure) sets the precedence
PT Esprecielo, the maker of Allure coffee and green tea latte, first carved its name in instant beverages before moving into the ready-to-drink segment – Green Tea Latte and Vanilla Green Tea Latte. Kiroya is seen as moving the opposite direction from RTD tea to instant beverage. Both companies are essentially trying to maximise their tea expertise to capture more consumption occasions.
Photo: Marketing General Manager of 7-Eleven Malaysia, Mr. Ronan Lee (centre) handing a packed meal to an individual from the community.
Kuala Lumpur – In conjunction with the Hari Raya celebration, 7-Eleven Malaysia visited Persatuan Kebajikan Ikhlas Komuniti Malaysia (PPKIM) in Lorong Haji Taib 4, Chow Kit to spread festive cheer to the community there.
PPKIM, also known as Ikhlas, is an organization dedicated to support and counsel homeless drug addicts, sex workers, and the transgender community. Serving as a shelter for them, this newly established walk-in centre began operating in June this year. The centre provides access to basic amenities such as water and food for its visitors. They also run a Needle and Syringe Exchange programme that is funded by the Ministry of Health and the Malaysian AIDS Foundation to reduce the rate of contracting HIV via sharing of needles among drug users.
Nor Akmar, one of the outreach workers of the organization said, “We do not discourage these individuals to continue with their daily activities. Instead, we help them by practicing safe habits that would lower their risk of contracting diseases. We will only guide them to the next step when they decide to stop.”
Kamal, Secretary of PPKIM and an ex-drug user himself said, “The society tends to perceive that they would behave inappropriately towards others due to their association with drugs or sex. However, our visitors have never displayed such behaviour towards anyone who have visited our centre.”
He also added, “Even though there are some who are still actively involved with their activities, it is difficult for them to stop immediately. Ikhlas aspires to provide the support and encouragement they need to undergo the rehabilitation process.”
Due to the growing number of visitors, the centre seeks funds to cover their operational expenses and upkeep. They mainly require basic necessities such as food, toiletries, and kitchen supplies. 7-Eleven Malaysia, along with NGO Hub Asia, distributed packed meals and goodie bags containing provisions like a travel toothbrush kit, an Aktif water bottle and other 7-Eleven house brand products.
Mr. Ronan Lee, 7-Eleven Malaysia General Manager of Marketing said, “Hari Raya is a celebration for everyone to partake, including the pockets of community that tends to be forgotten. We are delighted to have been able to celebrate this festivity with this particular community, and we hope that our efforts today will enable Ikhlas to expand its outreach on garnering more awareness and diminish society’s stereotypical beliefs regarding these individuals.”
He further commented, “This community needs us more than ever. By offering them our support, we are giving them a chance to change their future and lead better lives. We at 7-Eleven Malaysia strongly believe in uplifting the lives of those who need us, and knowing the positive impact we make encourages us to continue our endeavours of being Always There For You.”
About 7-Eleven Malaysia
7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Berhad through its subsidiary 7-Eleven Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is the owner and operator of 7-Eleven stores in Malaysia. Incorporated on 4 June 1984, 7-Eleven Malaysia has made its mark in the retailing scene and have been a prominent icon for over 32 years. 7-Eleven Malaysia is the pioneer and largest 24-hours standalone convenience store operator in Malaysia with over 2,100 outlets nationwide and serves more than 900,000 customers daily. 7-Eleven stores can be found across bustling commercial districts to serene suburban residential compounds throughout Malaysia, from petrol stations and LRT stations to shopping malls and medical institutions. 7-Eleven is Always There For You.
Bango sweet soy sauce from Unilever Indonesia has entered Giant, the supermarket/hypermarket chain in Malaysia owned by Dairy Farm. The Indonesian soy sauce is distributed by Momentum Strike Sdn Bhd, a unit of Wah Kong Corporation.
Bango is late in the game as the ABC soy sauce brand of PT Heinz ABC Indonesia has already made its presence felt in Malaysia for several years now. The ABC sauces are available in both modern and traditional trade and is distributed by GBA Corporation Sdn Bhd.
Apart from ABC and Bango, Wings Indonesia’s Kecap Sedaap can be found in the traditional trade.
These sweet soy sauces are aimed largely at Indonesians residing in Malaysia. The number of documented Indonesian workers in the country stood at 750,000 as of September 2016, followed by Nepal at 411,364 and Bangladesh 237,991. This figures exclude workers who are illegals.
Data from the Department of Statistics of Malaysia shows the country imported RM 2.8 million worth of soya sauce from Indonesia in 2016, up from RM 1.98 million in 2015 and RM 1.1 million in 2013. The amount is insignificant and probably did not take into account sauces that were shipped without going through the proper channel.
Bango Kecap Manis (620ml) is available at Giant for a price of RM 10.99, while ABC Saus Manis (620ml) is selling at a price of RM 10.09.
Experts, businesses and governments have talked about the immense opportunity for halal products and services for the global 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. The latest Global Islamic Economy Report, commissioned by the Government of Dubai, has estimated the total spending on global halal food and lifestyle products is expected to reach USD 3.7 trillion by 2019.
Stopping the tide of halal in China and Australia
Despite talks about the huge opportunity for halal, we have seen backlash against the perceived inroad of “halal” in countries where Muslims are minorities such as in Australia and in China.
Kellogg’s and others withdraw from halal certification
In July 2017, Kellogg’s Australia has decided not to renew its halal certification, which means, its cereals produced in Australia including Special K, Crunchy Nut, All-Bran and Nutrigrain will no longer be certified halal. The decision was made not due to public pressure but due to commercial reason, said the company.
Another breakfast maker Sanitarium has followed suit by ditching the halal certification citing its products are already suitable for people wanting kosher or halal foods since no alcohol or meat-based ingredients are used.
From March 2016, all Nestle retail chocolate blocks and bars, and baking chocolate in Australia are no longer halal certified. Click here for the list of Nestle products that are still certified halal.
The anti-halal movements in Australia started gaining momentum in 2014 after an aggressive social media campaign forced the South Australian Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company to ditch its yoghurt supply deal with Emirates. The backlash against the dairy firm came after it was known that the company was required to pay AUD 1,000 for the halal certification. There were suggestion that the halal certification fee would be used to fund terrorism and would pushed up the product prices.
Others including Reclaim Australia felt that the country is becoming increasingly “Islamified” and that the certification to obtain halal is a form of “religious tax.”
The number of Muslims in Australia reached 604,000 or 2.2% of the population, according to the latest census in 2016. This is almost doubled from 341,000 in the 2006 census.
Against the spread of “Halal generalisation” in China
In China, there is a term called 清真泛化 (qingzheng fanhua), loosely translated as “halal generalisation.” The terms is largely explained as the spread of the concept of halal beyond halal-certified food into other areas, while using the name of halal to meddle in the secular life of others” (泛化清真概念，将清真概念扩大到清真食品领域之外的其他领域，借不清真之名排斥、干预他人世俗生活的). This was one of the clauses in the anti-extremism regulation (新疆维吾尔自治区去极端化条例) approved by Xinjiang lawmakers on 29 March 2017 and went into effect on 1 April 2017.
A visit by the Chief of Navy of the Royal Malaysian Navy – Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin – on the Liaoning aircraft carrier in 2016. Notice the word “Muslim mess deck,” which was then used but has since been replaced.
A good example of the move to stem “halalnisation” is the replacement of the name to describe one of the restaurants in the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning from “halal mess deck” (清真餐厅) to “ethnic restaurant” (民族餐厅), which is now opened to all ethnic minorities.
Even before the enforcement of the law in Xinjiang in April 2017, Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), spoke about the creeping intrusion of halal into the daily life of the Chinese people at the China Islamic Association’s 10th National Congress in Beijing in November 2016. In recent years, there are examples of halal water, halal salt, halal flour and halal vegetables and how this halal concept has move into other areas like halal cosmetics, halal soap and even halal tissue in China.
There are calls within China to boycott halal-certified products citing the creeping Islamisation and the support for extremism from money spent on halal certification.
Islamic Association of China narrows its halal supervision to meat products bound for export
Following the change in the government policy, China’s biggest dairy company said in March 2017 that it would longer display the words “supervised by the Islamic Association of China (中国伊斯兰教协会)” next to the halal logo. The packaging will only display the word halal (清真). This comes after the Islamic Association of China issued a notice in March 2017 (关于不再续签清真监制协议的通知) stating the organisation will only provide certification for the export of meat products and not other products.
Popular food delivery app Meituan slammed
Meituan (美团网), the popular food delivery app in China, was rebuked by netizens after the platform announced in July 2017 that it would have different logistics infrastructure to handle halal food. The food delivery company planned to have two delivery boxes, one for halal and one for non-halal, resulting in outcry by netizens of discriminating against non-Muslims. Global Times, the English-language media owned by the Chinese government, reported that the “slogan implied that the food they eat is “unsafe and unclean.”
What Mini Me thinks
The lucrative halal market has attracted governments around the world to develop their halal industries. Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines are among the countries that are proactive in this area. Even Chinese companies are working to increase their exposure to the strong 1.8 billion Muslim consumers worldwide.
However, we see consumer backlash against halal in Muslim minority countries like Australia and China due to fears of Islamisation and the unintended consequence that the funds meant for halal certification would end up supporting extremism.
Companies operating in these markets should thread a fine line between halal and haram. Of course, they can still target the vast Muslim consumers worldwide with halal dedicated factories for the export market, while maintaining the non-overt display or even removing the halal logo for products meant for the domestic market.
We are now back with the second edition of what’s new in the Philippines beverage scene. Click here for the first edition.
Zest-O Corporation Sunburst Select juice
Zest-O has released a range of new beverages including juice and yoghurt drink. The notable ones are Sunburst Select juice drink comprising Fuji Apple, Ponkan, Yuzu Lemon and Blood Orange. They come in 1L and 250ml packs. The new blood orange is a unique flavour for the juice drink segment.
Zest-O Jucu-Jucu chewable juice
Jucu-Jucu is a new juice + nata de coco cubes for a new fruity, chewy juice experience.
Zest-O Green n Go soya milk drink
Apart from juice drink and chewable juice, Zest-O also introduced soya milk drinks under the Green n Go range. The range contains two variants Soya Milk and Soya Milk + Coffee Drink. It taps into the growing popularity of packaged soya milk drink as seen in the surge in sales of Vitamilk and the recent entry of Vitasoy.
Zest-O Milk-O fresh milk
Technically not a beverage, Zest-O Milk-O 100% pure fresh milk is made in Australia’s Goulburn Valley. The Milk-O range comes in the form of fresh milk, non-fat and low fat.
Zest-O Haus Blend RTD coffee
The other new product from Zest-O is the Haus Blend RTD coffee made from premium beans. The drink comes in a glass bottle to convey the premiumness and has three variants – Cafe Mocha, Cafe Latte and Classic Blend.
Zest-O Yo! yoghurt drink for kids
Finally, Zest-O has the new Yo! yoghurt drink made from milk, juice concentrate and good bacteria (Lactobacillus Bulgaricus and Streptococcus Thermophilus). It is naturally-fermented, with calcium, vitamin A, B and D and no preservatives.
In addition to 200ml Tetra Brik Aseptic Slim, Yo! is also available in 100ml Tetra Wedge Aseptic, ideal for children. The use of Yo! coincides with Indonesia’s Heavenly Blush Yo! yogurt drink also aimed at children. The Indonesian Yo! yogurt drink was introduced in 2015.
Zest-O’s Yo! comes with Banana Lychee, Berry Blend and Mango Strawberry flavours.
Zest-O Instant Iced Tea
The Zest-O iced tea has a new packaging for its range of instant powdered ice tea and the Zest-O Iced Tea RTD in doypack. Zest-O Chairman Alfredo Yao is the man credited of bringing the doypack technology to the Philippines.
Sappee For One Day
Thailand’s Sappe For One Day Juice – Sunny Brighter and Green Booster does not have artificial colours, preservatives and sugar added. For One Day was first launched in Thailand in 2016.
SIP purified water
SIP purified water (500ml) is pure water filtered through the volcanic rocks of Mount Makiling. SIP is now available at SM Supermarket (Luzon), Savemore Supermarket (Luzon) and 7-11 (Luzon). There are three sizes – 1L, 500ml and 350ml.
Kratos RTD coffee
Monde Nissin has made available Kratos Strong Coffee in 7-Eleven. Also available in Kratos Black. Kratos Strong Coffee Mocha is an espresso shot of robusta coffee infused with cocoa powder, while Kratos Strong Coffee Black is double shot espresso. Kratos Strong Coffee was launched in 2016.
This RTD coffee from Monde Malee Beverage Corporation (MMBC), the joint venture between local Monde Nissin and Thailand’s Malee, is aimed at BPO workers looking for an alternative to energy drinks.
Other new products – Vitasoy, Wilkins Delight & Gatorade G-Active
The click on the following links for the detailed reviews of Wilkins Delight, Vitasoy, Gatorade sugar-free and Quaker Good Start.
Goodday, the market leader in pasteurised liquid fresh milk in Peninsular Malaysia, has added two flavoured UHT milk – Green Tea and Honey to improve its position in the UHT category currently dominated by FrieslandCampina’s Dutch Lady. The launch of the two new flavoured milk by Etika Sdn Bhd in July 2017 also brought new flavour innovation to the UHT category, where chocolate and strawberry remain the mainstream flavours.
The new Goodday UHT milk comes in a 250ml Tetra Pak’s Tetra Brik Aseptic packaging. The total sugar content for the honey flavoured milk is 8.8g per 100ml and 7.1g per 100ml for the green tea flavoured milk. Both has 2.8g of protein per 100ml.
Both products have received the Ministry of Health’s Healthier Choice Logo (HCL).
What Mini Me thinks
The two new flavoured milk is seen as a move by Etika to improve milk consumption by adults by introducing more matured flavours like green tea into the UHT milk category.
Suntory Garuda Beverage has added jasmine (melati) and matcha to its MYTEA ready-to-drink tea range in Indonesia. The launch of the new flavours in June 2017 comes on the heels of the release of TEA+ Matcha in Vietnam in 2016.
Suntory launched MYTEA in Indonesia in May 2013, followed by the introduction of TEA+Oolong in August 2013. It appears Suntory is launching similar products for both countries, its key RTD tea markets in Southeast Asia.
TEA+ Matcha was launched in Vietnam in 2016
MYTEA was the first oolong RTD tea in Indonesia. Since then, it remains the only oolong tea in the RTD tea category. The tea lacks the distinctive oolong taste, thus nothing to differentiate it from the other players.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kRBS8v2i1g
The new MYTEA Teh Melati (jasmine tea) shows RTD tea players still need to have a presence in the popular jasmine flavour. We have seen this with the recent launching of Ichitan Teh Hijau Melati (jasmine green tea) and Teh Manis (Sweetened Tea) to adapt to the local preference. Click here for more information on Ichitan’s recent launches.
What Mini Me thinks
The new matcha and jasmine RTD teas are not new in Indonesia but it provides MYTEA with additional variants to expand usage and penetration.
Wonda coffee goes international with 100% Arabica coffee from Colombia, Indonesia (Mandheling) and Brazil. The launch of the regional range marks the extension of the Wonda range to focus on provenance, knowing where the coffee beans come from.
It also taps into the growing sophistication of coffee drinks in Malaysia, which has embraced the third wave coffee trend where consumers pay special attention to the origins of the coffee bean, preparation and roasting.
The 240ml RTD coffee in can is available only for a limited time only and is selling for a price of RM 2.70 at Shell Select (image above) and RM 2.55 at 7-Eleven. The promotion at Kedai Mesra Petronas (image below) is 2 cans for RM 3.00 with a chance to win the daily prize of RM 1,000 worth of fuel.
Benefiting all retail partners
You cannot find all three variants in a single store. You have to go to three separate retailers to collect all. The 100% Brazillian coffee is available at 7-Eleven outlets, the 100% Colombian coffee at Shell Select outlets and the 100% Indonesia Mandheling coffee at Kedai Mesra Petronas.
What Mini Me thinks
Etika Sdn Bhd has upgraded the Wonda range to capitalise on the growing third wave coffee trend. The strategy to place each variant in different outlets is seen as a move to mutually benefit all retail partners.
In Malaysia, Campbell Soup, the market leader in instant soup, has unveiled a new packaging for its instant soup range. The packaging features Asian female faces with a caption saying “My favourite snack anytime, anywhere.” This is seen as the continuation of the “Me time” with Campbell’s Instant Soup positioning.
Mintel study shows millennials (consumers age 21-38) in the US are more likely to snack four times a day or more compared to older consumers. The research also shows millenials are more likely to snack as a means “to fulfill emotional and functional needs, including combating boredom or stress and increasing energy and focus.”
Highlighting Campbell’s Instant Soup as the snacking choice taps into the high snacking frequency among millenials, which is also increasingly evident in Malaysia from brands launching small bite-sized snacks to healthy snack delivered to your doorsteps.
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*The last image was taken by the author. The rest comes from the brand’s respective sites.
