Getting Cultured
Cultured dairy products with probiotics and other ingredients to promote gut health are part of a larger trend toward functional foods and beverages. Fernleaf, our hero brand in Malaysia, gets in on the action.
Malaysia's cultured dairy market is valued at NZD160m. Cultured milks account for half of this, with drinkable and spoon-able yogurts making the other half.
Cultured dairy is now gaining greater traction, with wider recognition among consumers of the link between gut health and cultured foods.
Once a popular alternative for lactose-intolerant milk drinkers (the fermentation breaks lactose down, and enhances milk’s digestibility), cultured dairy is now gaining greater traction, with wider recognition among consumers of the link between gut health and cultured foods.
It’s a category that is on trend and growing says Siew Poh Lim, Marketing Manager, Everyday Nutrition in our Malaysia business. “A decade ago, gut health may have been a somewhat awkward term, but it’s achieved mainstream appreciation today, driven by consumer preference and greater consumption occasions.”
To meet the push towards gut-health-supporting products, our hero brand Fernleaf (that’s Anchor the world over) recently debuted its probiotic-infused cultured milk drinks.
Fernleaf’s CalciYum is already one of the best-selling cultured milk drinks for kids, loved by young consumers for its unique taste and colourful, fruity flavours.
“We saw a clear opportunity in the adult category so we went for it,” says Lim, gamely using the brand’s strong equity to penetrate mass-market homes.
“A decade ago, gut health may have been a somewhat awkward term, but it’s achieved mainstream appreciation today, driven by consumer preference and greater consumption occasions.”
To differentiate on shelves, Fernleaf’s Probiotic is the only cultured milk drink in Malaysia with 3 probiotic strains, and made with the goodness of our New Zealand milk.
The range also does away with traditional shrink-wrapping of individual bottles - a positive step towards more sustainable packaging.