According to a recent article contributed by Unilever, consumer appetite for fortified foods is on the rise.
Based from a recent DSM consumers survey, 52% of consumers in Asia, 42% in North America and 33% in Europe said they are actively seeking out fortified foods and beverages with nutrition-boosting ingredients on retail shelves.
Such optimism has led to bullish forecast for this market to be worth US$235 million alone by 2031. Consumers are not the only ones fuelling this growth but governments and health authorities are also promoting as they recognise the importance of fortifying everyday foods with vital micronutrients as both an economical and a powerful way to fight malnutrition at scale.
An alarming finding from The Lancet Global Health research suggested that the number of people globally who are suffering from malnutrition might be higher than the 2 billion figure estimated earlier. Lancet study found that globally one in 2 pre-school aged children and two in every 3 women of reproductive age were micronutrient deficient.
Unilever, via its nutrition portfolio, is committed to providing 200 billion servings of vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, zinc or iodine by 2022. The following are some of the successful product innovations by Unilever all around the world, with a view of addressing global malnutrition through food fortification. Food and beverage companies could consider similar strategies as we tackle a more challenging future.
Increasing iodine intake with stock powder in Indonesia
Iodine is essential for brain development and growth, especially during pregnancy and infancy.
According to Melody Mary, Diet and Health Assistant Manager at Unilever Nutrition Indonesia, “Seafood and green vegetables are natural sources of iodine, but the intake of both in the most populated island in Indonesia is often low. As a result, large numbers of pregnant women in rural areas are iodine deficient and the lack of this micronutrient alongside iron and zinc is related to the high cases of growth stunting in the country.”
To overcome this, Unilever has added iodine to its Royco stock powder in 2021, a product used by 8 out of 10 households in Indonesia. Currently, each 2g serving of Royco delivers 15% of the daily iodine requirement needed to support normal growth and cognitive development.
Fortifying plant-based alternatives with iron and B12 in Europe
Growing demand for plant-based meats can be felt in many developed countries, especially in Europe. In 2022, this market was estimated at US$5.13 billion and is on track to grow to US$6.59 billion by 2025.
The Vegetarian Butcher, by Unilever, is hoping to expand and it is giving extra attention to iron and vitamin B12, often found abundantly in red meat, which is lacking in plant-based diet. “Through fortification, we aim to have 15% of the daily recommendation for iron and B12 in each serving of our plant-based meats,” said Tim Warren, Head of R&D for The Vegetarian Butcher. Fortification can offer consumers good nutrition while not sacrificing on taste.
Boosting India’s favourite malt beverage with essential nutrients
India has the world’s 2nd largest population and according to latest findings, nine out of 10 children in the country have diets that are deficient in micronutrients, with estimates suggesting that nutritional deficiencies are costing the country up to 2.5% of its GDP.
As a favourite hot drink especially among children, Classic Malt Horlicks now offers 23 vital nutrients such as proteins, zinc, vitamin C and vitamin D, along with other immunity-supporting nutrients like selenium, folic acid, iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6.
The brand has also diversified by adding other specifically fortified variants to its portfolio: Junior Horlicks for 2-6 year olds; Horlicks Mother’s Plus and Horlicks Women’s Plus for pregnant and lactating women; and Horlicks Diabetes Plus and Horlicks Protein Plus for dietary requirements.
Unilever recently acquired GlaxoSmithKline’s Health Food Drinks portfolio (GSK) in Asia for US$3.8 billion, a move that will also boost its presence in the Indian market. The portfolio includes malted hot drink Horlicks and chocolate-flavored malt-based drink Boost.
