Southeast Asia focus of in-depth nutrition study
Focusing on Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, the study claims to be a “first of its kind” in the region and will be conducted in collaboration with leading local nutritional institutes in order to “better understand the nutritional well-being, needs and patterns among children 12 years and below.”
“We firmly believe that we need more scientific data on nutritional well being and nutritional needs,” a spokesperson told FoodNavigator.com, “this data will help us to develop products which are even better suited to the needs of consumers.”
The results of the study will “identify opportunities and gaps in enhancing health and nutrition” and, according to Jan Willem Kivits, marketing director FrieslandCampina Consumer Products International business group, deliver an in-depth understanding of the specific nutritional needs of each local market and so “better serve the local communities.”
Results from the study are expected to become available in the first quarter of 2012.
Study details
Over 16,000 children, aged 12 and under, across the four counties are expected to participate in the study during the next 12 months. Using recognised scientific measurements, research will focus on three main areas:
- Dietary profiling and nutrient intake assessment, including food intake, bone density and cognition.
- Biochemical analysis of blood, including analysis of iron status, vitamins, lipid profile and blood pressure.
- Assessment of body composition and physical activity, including measurements on weight, height and hand grip strength.
The study is being conducted in partnership with leading local and academic institutes in Indonesia (PERSAGI – Persautuan Ahli Gizi Indonesia), Malaysia (UKM – University of Kebangsaan Malaysia), Thailand (MAHIDOL – Mahidol University) and Vietnam (National Institute of Nutrition –Vien Dinh Duong).
Investment in Asia
News of this study follows FrieslandCampina’s announcement last year of a US$12 mn (around €8.8mn) investment in expanding its production capacity in Vietnam. The move was deemed necessary to meet increasing demand for the company’s branded dairy products Dutch Lady, YoMost and Friso. The facility is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2012.
The company has a number of established brands for family nutrition in Southeast Asia; Dutch Lady (Malaysia, Vietnam), Foremost (Thailand) en Frisian Flag (Indonesia).
Dairy marketOverall, the region reports the strongest performance for drinking milk products (€34,143.6mn), followed by yoghurt and sour milk drinks (€12,067.6mn).
