july-september 2011 volume 6 number 10 … spins weighted measure ... “have to be cognizant of...

www.kidsnutritionreport.com

JULY-SEPTEMBER 2011 VOLUME 6 NUMBER 10 ISSN 1744-5450

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Better-for-you products aimed at kids are losing momentum in the US market with some categories stalling and others shrinking as fi nancial pressures increasingly nudge parents away from the higher prices and single-serve formats of items meant specifi cally for children and toward lower-priced items that suit the whole family. Yoghurt, however, seems to have bucked the trend, with sales up a healthy percentage.

In three of the biggest categories where major manufacturers and startups alike have made huge pushes over the last decade – frozen baby foods, ready-to-eat cereals and yogurt – kid-specifi c products have been faltering to varying degrees over the last year, especially compared with their regular counterparts in those segments.

In the case of frozen all-natural baby foods, in fact, the entire

category seems to be in trouble under the weight of lack of parental devotion to the products, household-budget considerations, merchandising diffi culties, and strategy changes by brands fl eeing the segment.

“It’s almost gone,” said Liane Weintraub, co-founder of Tasty Brands, one of the pioneers of the category several years ago, which left it early this year in favour of other kid-oriented products. “It was growing too slowly, and we aren’t a not-for-profi t concern.”

Long-term decline for kid-specifi c products?

This trend in three such signifi cant categories, in fact, calls into question the overall long-term viability of specialized better-for-you products for kids in developed markets, such as the US, that are plagued by persistent economic stagnation and increasing fi nancial pressures on households. American parents have been adjusting in a variety of ways, including cutting back on other

Kids’ brands sales stall but dairy still thrives

By Dale Buss

Danone sows seeds of growth

Schools welcome Dean’s reduced-sugar chocolate milk

Snacks king Organix aims to take bite out of

kids’ meals market

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consumer-packaged goods that are children-specifi c, even staples such as disposable diapers.

The recent diffi culties for kids’ better-for-you foods are refl ected in each of those categories in recently accelerating weakness in dollar sales relative to the trends in the overall segment, in dwindling distribution, or both, per data compiled and analyzed by SPINS Inc., which tracks sales of natural, organic and other better-for-you products in mainstream as well as natural-foods and specialty-gourmet outlets across the US.

Eating with the kids - parents take family approach to purchasing

“Parents’ focus now is more geared toward family use, and the price points are more geared toward declines across kids’ and baby foods,” Mike Adonna, an analyst for Chicago-based SPINS, told Kids Nutrition Report. “There’s a move toward buying regular products for kids rather than kid-focused products that are more expensive.”

Brian Wansink, an expert on the psychology of eating at Cornell University, said that “parents are buying more transitional products that both they and the kids can eat. Instead of Trix-fl avoured yogurt, they buy something all of them can at least stand. And they’re a little less adventurous in trying new products that they’re not sure the kids will like.”

Nutritional marketing consultant Cathy Kapica said that the growth of kids’ better-for-you products came partly because “it makes sense to buy two different kinds of food in the same category for different members of the family. But there is a point now where that stops, especially when you’re talking about economic issues. Prices are going up, and the parents have lost their job. Where do you stop making those tradeoffs?

What’s happened with the recession is that parents have taken a new look at how they’re viewing purchases of food in the entire space.”

Frozen kids’ and baby foods: Dollar sales were down more than 1% for the 52 weeks ended September 3 to a mere $15 million (€11 million), compared with a 10% increase in sales for all better-for-you frozen foods, which obviously occurred at much higher volumes. Meanwhile during the period, frozen kids’ and baby foods lost 10% of their Total Distribution Points (a proprietary SPINS weighted measure that totals distribution of relevant products and outlets, combining all three of the channels it monitors), while Total Distribution Points (TDP) for all frozen foods increased by 6%.

That represented a decline in relative performance of frozen kids’ and baby food compared with the segment’s performance for the 52 weeks ended September 4, 2010, versus a year earlier. For that period, dollar sales of frozen kids’ and baby foods increased by 6%, while overall frozen-food sales rose by just 3% – a trend between the two results that reversed itself over the next 52 weeks. But TDP for the kids’ category was already on the decline last year, by 2%, while TDP for the overall category rose by 2%.

Tasty Brands has moved on to specialize in better-for-you snacks – Gummi-type candies, cereal bars and cookies – and sales remain strong for the brand as it continues to build an initial consumer base and distribution network, Weintraub said. But she explained the diffi culties that have pushed both Tasty and another pioneering brand, Plum, out of the frozen-baby-food business and recently have curtailed the exposure of the third trail-blazing player, Happy Brands.

“The economy really took a dip when we were all small brands and weren’t able to do big advertising

blitzes,” she said. “And retailers were confused. They didn’t know how to merchandise these products and just sandwiched them among others in a bunch of different places in the freezer case. And it’s hard to get consumers’ attention if you don’t have vast dollars to do it.”

Kids’ ready-to-eat cereals: Dollar sales increased by 9% during the 52 weeks compared with just a 4% increase for the overall ready-to-eat cereals market, although sales volume for the latter category of course is much bigger. But TDP for the kids’ products declined by 4%, indicating deteriorating confi dence in the category by both manufacturers and retailers as the former may have withdrawn SKUs from availability and the latter may have eliminated them from the shelves.

In the previous year, kids’ cereals sales increased by just 1% and overall cereals rose by 2%. TDP for the children’s products fell by 6% and, for overall cereal distribution, the measure was fl at.

Rising prices may be a strong factor in this market, as cereal manufacturers cope with higher grain costs for most of 2011. Parental disillusionment with some mainstream-market better-for-you cereals also is a problem, contended Mary Gotaas, consumer-products analyst for market researcher IbisWorld. “A lot of cereals have launched market campaigns about being made from whole grains or high in vitamin D and still are extremely high in sugar and sodium,” she said. “So some parents have switched to oatmeal, which is inexpensive, high in fi bre and low in sugar.”

Dairy still rising

The good news for dairy, however, is that it appears to have bucked the trend.

During the 52 weeks ended

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September 4 2010, retailers apparently were still enthusiastic about adding kids’ yogurt SKUs. SPINS TDP measure increased by 23% compared with an increase of just 10% for the overall category. Yet dollar sales for more widely available kids’ products rose by only 2% versus an immense rise of 31% for the overall category, powered entirely by fast-rising sales of Greek yoghurt brands (and particularly the ultra-successful Chobani brand).

For the 52 weeks ended September 3 of this year, overall dollar sales of SPINS-measured yogurts powered ahead by an even more impressive 58%, propelled by the Greek phenomenon. Sales of kids’ products rose by a healthy 8%. However, SPINS TDP measure for kids yoghurts declined by 8%, while grocers cleared shelves for Greek products as the overall category’s TDP increased by a whopping 22%.

“The trends aren’t good for kids’ products,” Adonna elaborated. “In light of the broader aggregates [in TDP], these are not favored UPCs. If something is going to get de-listed in a store, these items are more likely than average to get the hit. Retailers start backing off – maybe they take away a fl avour or one offering in a product line – and they’re not able to hold their share of shelf space.”

However, in the yogurt category, SPINS’ data covers organic products including Stonyfi eld Farm’s Yo Baby brand but not Danimals, a competitively-priced mainstream kids’ brand offered by Dannon, whose sales were up 10% to $95 million (€68 million) in the year to August 2011.

Chobani harnesses Greek phenomenon to launch kids’ product

One logical antidote to sluggishness in kids’ yogurt is to hitch a children’s line to the fast-growing Greek proposition. So that’s exactly what Chobani – essentially the originator and by far the leading brand in the Greek-style segment – has done. Chobani Champions yogurt for kids is “identical to our base brand: milk, cultures and real fruit,” said Nicki Briggs, director of communications for the New York-based company. But Champions comes in 3.5oz (100g) cups compared with the 6oz (170g) containers for regular Chobani and includes enough extra vitamin D to provide 20% of the recommended daily value in each serving.

After being on the market for less than a year, Champions reached the No. 10 position in the overall US children’s yogurt market, Briggs

said. Into the teeth of the trends that have affl icted kids’ yogurt in general, Chobani this fall also has launched its fi rst integrated marketing campaign for Champions, spanning mobile, a web site, a tour and social media. The campaign is emphasizing the four “characteristics” of the Champions brand, Chobani said: “imaginative, active, courageous and caring”.

Industry must make benefi ts clear to parents

Such is the momentum of Greek yogurt in the US market, and the Chobani brand in particular, that Champions may well succeed despite the growing pressures on kid-specifi c better-for-you products. But Kapica, senior vice president of global health and wellness for Ketchum, a Chicago-based marketing agency that serves big-name clients, believes that beyond such outlying exceptions, food and beverage brands must focus on a couple of major factors in order for their children’s products to survive the current environment in the American marketplace.

“The point where products made for kids fall short of the threshold of parental acceptance is when you have only unidentifi ed and unclarifi ed benefi ts,” she said. Companies




“have to be cognizant of what their messages are. They have to resonate with parents, who are making dozens if not hundreds of decisions every day. These are other decisions they have to make. Are you making it easy for them to make smart choices for their kids?”

For instance, kids’ yogurt brands face the truth that nearly all of the specifi c benefi ts of their products also can be found in adult or family yogurts. “The whole family needs the same benefi ts, and parents can buy them in big containers – and then they can put the blueberries and strawberries in themselves,” Kapica said.

At the same time, she said, such has been the proliferation of fl avours and other points of variation for yogurts that “choices are becoming more challenging” for parents to make. “Are kids going to fi ght them because they’re not getting the right fl avour? Probably not. There are too many choices in yogurts, and they’re not giving ROI.” This presumably is one reason that SPINS data has detected the steady erosion in SKUs and distribution points for kids’ yogurt products over the last year.

Parents growing sceptical of overpackaging

Kapica also noted that the jazzy innovations in packaging in kids’ yogurt – such as tubes and crushable cups – actually work at cross-purposes to the brand with a substantial and growing number of young mothers. “New parents coming up have more concern about the environment, excessive packaging and what that is doing to landfi lls – they look at the whole thing and many of them conclude that bulk products are better” than kids’ individual-serving mini-cups.

Similarly, Kapica said, she’s advising clients to be wary of kids’ products for which fi bre is the

featured nutritional benefi t. “Fibre is so ubiquitous in breads and focused regular cereals anyway, is that something for which parents will seek out a special product to get more fi bre into their kids’ diet? Probably not. Sources of fi bre are so ubiquitous and so affordable.”

Director of the Food & Brand Lab at Cornell, Wansink said that brands can expect many parents to conclude from their experiences of the last few years that “they’re surviving on bulk and adult stuff, and they don’t need to go back to the high-margin kids’ stuff; it’s not worth it. These customers will pretty much discover they don’t need it. Then for companies it becomes a tougher, re-marketing effort to fi nd new customers who haven’t already tried these products.”

Omega-3 appeal endures

On the other hand, Kapica said,

DHA-added milk is a product that “remains successful in the kids’ space”, especially because it’s line-priced with regular milk and in the same sizes of containers. Because DHA omega-3s are documented to boost cognitive development, she said, “Parents will buy separate milk for themselves and their kids. It’s an inconvenience for them, but they believe their kids will benefi t from it in the short- and long-term. For that, it makes sense to buy two different products.”

Products that reliably boost immune function are another category of kids’ foods that parents are hanging on to, Kapica said. “They like products that they think help keep their kids healthy and not get sick,” she said. DHA for brain function and immunity-boosting products “are the two areas of top concern for parents that they can’t get anywhere else except in functional foods”.

A kid-specifi c version is the newest product from Chobani. In line with Chobani’s savvy use of digital media, the launch is supported with an app offering educational activities for children.



M A R K E T I N G C A S E S T U D Y

Dannon USA’s just-completed tree-planting promotion for its Dan-o-nino brand combined the urgency of immediately boosting sales of kids’ yogurt in America with the company’s long-term interest in being seen as a global trail-blazer in promoting the notion of carbon offsets.

Borrowing aspects of a devotion to tree planting that Groupe Danone already has demonstrated in markets from India to Senegal, the Seeds for Growth promotion included actual tree seeds for planting with each package of Dan-o-nino as well as a way to activate a pledge by Dannon USA to fund the planting of a tree in the United States for each package purchased.

Dan-o-nino is a non-yogurt dairy snack aimed at toddlers in America as it is under that and other brand names in other markets around the world, featuring two times the calcium of most kids’ yogurts, available in strawberry, banana, raspberry and other fl avours.

“It’s designed for the nutrition needs of toddlers, who are ‘growing like saplings’,” as Michael Neuwirth, Dannon USA’s senior director of communications, told Kids Nutrition Report. “The idea was as you join with Dan-o-nino, you can plant a virtual tree and watch it grow. And we also brought it to life with actual trees that kids could plant.”

An engaging campaign

All told, Dannon USA now is providing for the planting of about 15,000 trees around the US by American Forests, a not-for-profi t conservation

organization that has planted about 40 million trees across the country over the last two decades, many of them enabled by corporate partners like Dannon. The yogurt brand had guaranteed the group a minimum donation of 30,000 trees and a maximum of 300,000 trees.

But there was a catch. Each specially marked package included a piece of cardboard impregnated with tree seeds, which kids could plant in the empty Dan-o-nino cup. To prompt the planting of another tree somewhere by American Forests, customers had to visit a web site and enter online a code that was found on the inside of the tree-seed wrapper. Kids were instructed that they must “plant” and “care” for a virtual tree that would “grow” bigger each day as long as they kept coming back to the site. And the Dannon donation to American Forests kicked in only if the tree became “fully grown” online.

In any event, the promotion engaged Dan-o-nino-eating kids and their mothers at a time when Dannon is willing to go to unusual measures to

attempt to spark a kids-yogurt market that has gone fl at over the last year. “The concept resonated very well with moms,” said Neuwirth, who declined to provide details of the sales boost created by the promotion.

Committed to tree-planting

Seeds for Growth also refl ected an abiding dedication by Groupe Danone to tree-planting efforts that have taken a variety of forms, especially in connection with kids’ and children’s products, over the last few years. For instance, in partnership with Groupe Casino, earlier this year Danone backed a project called “Let’s plant a million trees together” in the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa. It relied as well on the idea of “one product purchased = one tree planted”.

At the same time, Dannon’s inclusion of the seeds draws on a promotion strategy that kids-products makers in the US market have used for decades. Makers of ready-to-eat cereals, for instance, long have

included plastic toys and the like in their packages, and Crackerjacks snacks did likewise.

“For companies to pack-in tree seeds is very inexpensive, extends a halo to the brand, invites family involvement with the brand and suggests that the brand is a solid champion of the environment and sustainability,” noted Paul Kurnit, a marketing professor at Pace University in New York.

Danone sows seeds of growthThe plastic toy in the cereal box is an old promotional tool, and now Danone in the US has updated the idea by including in its kids’ yogurt packs seeds that children can plant. Combined with a tree-planting scheme to offset carbon emissions, the company will be hoping the initiatives give kids’ yogurt a much-needed boost. By DALE BUSS.



D A I RY C A S E S T U D Y

Chocolate milk has moved centre stage in the evolving debate over US childhood nutrition. And Dean Foods wants its new TruMoo line of reduced-sugar chocolate milks to be the star.

The Dallas-based dairy giant has been rolling out TruMoo across the US since production began in August, coupling the national TruMoo brand with local sub-branding by its many regional dairies in a marketing campaign whose national-TV component has just kicked off (you can see the TV ad by following this link: http://www.trumoo.com/products/trumoo-tube/ ). And after initially targeting only the crucial school-meal market with its ground-breaking lower-sugar proposition, Dean found retail interest as well – so TruMoo is bursting onto the B2C retail and the B2B education market at the same time. And the huge Wendy’s fast-food

chain also is selling TruMoo under the milk’s brand.

“It became an all-channel initiative for us, and we determined we would use this common formula across all of our brands, with TruMoo being the national brand but keeping the local brand also,” Wendy Poer, TruMoo’s director of marketing, told Kids Nutrition Report. “We have 30-plus different brands that would hold on to that local heritage and reinforce the freshness and that [TruMoo] comes from a local dairy.”

TruMoo – with “Tru” invoking its natural fl avouring and sugars and “Moo” suggesting, of course, real milk – is line-priced with other milks. About half of Dean’s initial volume with the brand is school foodservice, about 25 to 30% is retail, and the rest is other channels such as quick-serve and other restaurants.

Nesquik, of course, is the ranking market leader among the few

national brands of chocolate milk. There exist a handful of strong regional brands of chocolate milk, a type of product that lends itself to winning twists in recipes that can elevate it more easily above competitors than commoditized white milk can.

Chocolate milk divides opinion

Because kids love chocolate milk so much more than the regular stuff, it also has become the fulcrum of the ever-building debate over childhood obesity in the US. It’s a great way to get kids to drink milk and access the calcium, Vitamin D, potassium and other important nutrients therein for growing children; but some nutritionists and activists argue that chocolate milk’s appeal is dangerous to kids because it tends to be high in sugar and, of course, the higher-fat varieties taste best.

Schools welcome Dean’s reduced-sugar chocolate milk

Creating a reduced-sugar brand of chocolate milk has enabled Dean Foods to sell the controversial drink to schools, retail and food service – and already Dean is considering extensions to the TruMoo brand. By DALE BUSS.

http://www.trumoo.com/products/trumoo-tube/




In fact, some school districts have removed fl avoured milk as part of efforts to reduce overall consumption of dubious drinks such as carbonated soft drinks. While such drinks are responsible for about half of sugar in kids’ daily diets, nutritionists say, the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) noted that fl avoured milk represents only 3% of that sugar.

Cutting fl avoured milks means less milk drinking

And there’s no beating the intrinsic appeal of chocolate milk. “There are lots of kids that don’t want to drink plain white milk; they really love drinking fl avoured milk and that’s very important for the essential nutrients in milk,” argued Vivien Godfrey, CEO of MilkPEP. “It’s a happy balance between some added sugars but making sure that the kids actually drink the milk as opposed to taking the white milk on the lunch line and not in fact drinking it.”

Research by MilkPEP, which is funded by milk processors nationwide, showed that an average of 35% less milk was consumed, in its study of 58 elementary and secondary schools, when students didn’t have a fl avoured-milk option.

Now MilkPEP members including Dean are trying to make chocolate milk more acceptable to its nutritional critics. “Over the years, demand from schools has changed quite a bit,” Poer said. “They started with wanting lower-calorie milks, so we offered more reduced-fat products, and then they went on to sugars. There are federal recommendations, and local schools’ standards vary quite a bit, so we went to the lowest common denominator. We came up with a formula and tested it, and it did real well – even better than the [previous chocolate-milk] formulas and better than” Nesquik.

Chocolate milk makeover

TruMoo contains no high-fructose corn syrup and only 10g of added sugar in a serving compared with up to 28g in soft drinks and other sweetened beverages. That is a reduction of up to 6g of sugar, or 1.5 teaspoons per serving, compared with previous varieties. Overall sugars in a half-pint serving of TruMoo are just 22g.

The new fat-free TruMoo also provides only 130 calories per serving compared with previous chocolate-milk formulas, made with high-fructose corn syrup, that include up to 180 calories. That is just 40 more calories than plain white milk

per serving. With some regional variation, TruMoo also offers a 1% milk fat variety in school districts and retail stores, which yields 150 calories and still only 10g of added sugar.

Dean began work on what became TruMoo in 2008. Getting the formula right, of course, would be crucial. Poer declined to reveal exactly what formulaic innovations enabled TruMoo to hit an apparent sweet spot with consumers except to say that “taste notes in the chocolate powder” were crucial to offsetting less sugar. “Chocolate milk fl avour tends to be very forgiving in that way,” she said.

“We had some issues when we got to the fat-free [variety of TruMoo],




because very often sugars are put in to help with the lack of fat,” she said. “But the levels of sugars tended to be rather elevated as a starting point [in existing products] anyway. And our R&D people were able to work through it to keep the sugars down but the sweetness level up. There are no artifi cial sweeteners. We’re just using sucrose, liquid sugar, which has a very clean taste that really works.” TruMoo employs “sweetening enhancers”, she said, in the fat-free version.

Two years ago, Dean conducted a pilot in the Northeast with one of Dean’s regional brands, Garelick Farms, which already had a popular line of regular chocolate milk. “The [local brand] was resistant at fi rst, but they were won over quickly because the [TruMoo] test gave them double-digit growth, which they continue to have year-to-year,” Poer said. Subsequent markets basically duplicated those encouraging results.

And earlier this year, Dean managed to get Fairfax County Public Schools, a liberal enclave outside of Washington, D.C., and populated with a lot of government workers, to reverse a previous ban on chocolate milk in its cafeterias – and bring in TruMoo after a pilot test there.

Common message key

Winning over local brands – most of which were independent dairies before being bought up by Dean over the years – in such ways would be crucial to the success of Dean’s planned business model for TruMoo. The key wasn’t necessarily to get the regional brands to accept the innovative nature of the product but to buy into Dean’s plans for marketing TruMoo.

“Historically at Dean, we’ve had localized efforts” for milk distribution, Poer said. “There has been no common messaging. We

wanted to get a common message for TruMoo that we could get behind and make it a broader reach and effort [rather] than have a bunch of local brands touting their own wares.”

In the past, Poer explained, “Everything had to be done regionally, and that becomes very expensive” marketing. So with TruMoo, Dean advertises the national brand without mentioning the local dairies, such as, for instance, Country Fresh in the Midwest. “The local brands then do their branding on the packaging, at the shelf and through other efforts that can be customized. With national TV and print advertising, we can use effi ciencies from the national scope and save money.”

One result of this approach is that Dean has been able to hatch ads across the country. Rather than straight promotion of the strong proposition of TruMoo, the ads don’t shy away from the notion that chocolate milk is controversial: print

ads show an angelic, white-clad milk man touting the benefi ts of TruMoo, such as calcium, and then a devilish, red-clad alter ego giving up and saying that the drink “is delicious. I’ve got nothing bad to say”.

Dean uses a similar approach in its TV ads, couponing, social-media marketing and other venues. “The whole point is that mom doesn’t have to feel guilty about giving kids what they’re asking for anyway,” Poer said, “because she knows it’s good for them.”

Initial enthusiastic reaction to TruMoo from kids, parents, school districts and retailers already has Dean considering brand extensions. White milk is the fi rst and most logical next step; the white TruMoo that Wendy’s sells is a start. Other possibilities, Poer said, include TruMoo ice cream and frozen novelties.

But for now, Dean and its local brands would be happy with revolutionizing the appreciation of chocolate milk in US schools.



S N A C K I N G C A S E S T U D Y

Snikiddy successfully transitioned from organic positioning to “all-natural” products over the last couple of years to keep price points lower just as the tight economy was confi rming the company’s strategy. And now co-founder Mary Schulman is hoping that the market blesses Phase 2 of the transformation of her Washington, D.C.-based startup: moving her brand into position as an all-family provider of healthful snacks rather than as a company concentrated on kids.

The company’s cheese puffs and baked “fries” are sold in 5,000 stores across the United States, ranging from natural-products leader Whole Foods Market to mainstream retailers including Safeway supermarkets and even Toys R Us. Sales doubled over the last year and now Snikiddy is on its way to passing the $10 million (€7 million) sales threshold this year, she told Kids Nutrition Report. Snikiddy’s path to even more growth, she believes, lies in re-positioning Snikiddy’s product line – which began fi ve years ago with baked cheese puffs aimed at children – as an all-family proposition.

“The cheese puffs were targeted toward kids as their fi rst real snack, when moms want them to have a good and good-tasting snack,” Schulman said. “We’ve seen them hanging on to eating our cheese puffs until they’re well into their teens. But now, if someone is entering our product line, they may come in through the ‘fries’ – they don’t have an age associated with them. And now, we have Eat Your Vegetables, a line that is launched just for mom.”

Attempting to grow her new enterprise at a time of rising economic pressures on American households, Schulman made her fi rst crucial mid-course correction a couple of years ago, as reported then by KNR. Snikiddy eliminated its line of cookies and moved away

from organic positioning after sales had reached roughly the $5 million (€3.6 million) level over three years. Schulman and co-founder Janet Owings, her mother, already had cut prices by about 50 cents for each product six months earlier, and then they decided to switch to all-natural positioning from organic because of costs.

“Our snacks were a little more expensive than our competitors, and now they’re in line with our competitors,” Schulman said at the time.

Now, Schulman said, the transition has worked. “We were able to bring down some of our price points and make our products available to more people at an affordable price,” she said. “It’s also helped us deal with commodity prices which have gone up – for oil, corn and grains. We’re doing our best to keep prices steady for consumers.

“Maybe if we had taken this approach from the start, our sales now would be twice what they are.”

Snikiddy’s “all-natural” products now consist of three lines:

Baked Cheese Puffs: They are wheat- and gluten-free and provide what Snikiddy said is “30 percent less fat than other leading brands” in Grilled Cheese and Mac ‘n Cheese fl avours, only half the number of fl avours of a couple of years ago. The suggested retail price is $2.99 (€2.15) for a 4oz (113g) bag. Schulman believes that this size, larger than for many single-serving kids’ snack products, plays well with price-conscious consumers these days because they perceive it as a “bulk bag.” “So someone isn’t getting dinked for buying a kids’ product,” she said.

“Fries.” Lately, this has been the product area of emphasis for Snikiddy, with seven fl avours available ranging from Bold Buffalo to Classic Ketchup. The “fries” are actually

baked snacks in the shape of a classic French fry, made from potato and corn, and crunchy. “It’s a unique platform for snacking, and a lot of people are looking for something different,” Schulman said.

Eat Your Vegetables. This brand new line began evolving about a year ago when Schulman and her staff began brainstorming for ideas to hop onto the veggie-consumption bandwagon that was still picking up speed. Eat Your Vegetables contain a full serving of vegetables in each ounce, about 13 chips, and four and a half servings of vegetables in each 4.5oz (128g) bag. They come in Sea Salt, Sour Cream and Onion, and Jalapeno Ranch fl avours.

Once Schulman had landed on the category of veggie chips, her key decision was what to put in them. She wanted to come out with a different proposition than Terra Chips, for instance, which actually are slices of various vegetables. “We wanted, again, to do an innovative, unique product,” Schulman said. “We decided to go with a dough so we could have a blend of vegetables, rather than a slice.”

For the dough, Snikiddy ended up using sweet potatoes, carrots and navy beans. “Sweet potatoes and carrots taste great and deliver very nicely in a chip – a sweet, smooth fi nish that really tastes wonderful,” Schulman said. Navy beans were a more diffi cult choice. “They’re a great source of fi bre and protein, and they taste very good. Some beans have more of a taste that would be overpowering to the other vegetables, but navy beans worked well for us.”

Strategic moves have been so fast in coming for Snikiddy that, Schulman said, she doesn’t plan to make any more for a while. “We’ll probably do more fl avours of Eat Your Vegetables,” she said, “but we’re going to continue to grow the base business of our three product lines.”

Snikiddy range growing upBy Dale Buss




Organix, the UK-based brand that made its name in organic baby food and snacks for young children, is expanding into the toddler meals category for the fi rst time as it seeks to maintain its track record of double-digit sales growth.

The company, which was founded in 1992 by Lizzie Vann and acquired by Switzerland-based food business Hero Group in 2008, already dominates the UK’s infant fi nger food sector with its Goodies range, accounting for almost 60% of sales in the category.

Now, as the business looks to extend its reach and appeal across the kids’ food market, it has launched Mighty Meals – a selection of ambient meals for toddlers who are ready to move on from purees to ‘real’ food. Retailing at around £1.99 ($3.10/€2.32) each for a 200g (7oz) portion, the range was launched in June this year, initially in UK drug store chain Boots, and is now being rolled out to supermarket chains nationwide.

The meals are available in fi ve variants:

• Organic Hearty Lamb Hotpot• Organic Pork Meatballs• Organic Creamy Chicken Pasta• Organic Tomatoey Beef

Bolognese• Organic Spinach Falafels

Just like all the products Organix markets, Mighty Meals carry the company’s “No Junk Promise” – a pledge that its food will only ever contain natural, organic ingredients and that it will be free of added salt, processed sugars and “nasty additives” (as the company puts it).

Parents want “close to homemade”

Anna Rosier, Organix managing director, says Mighty Meals meet a demand among parents, identifi ed during consumer research among mothers, for toddler meals that resemble something that’s “closest to homemade”.

She explains: “They were saying that a lot of the toddler meals were like baby puree with lumps, when what they wanted was real food, like the food they would make at

home, so that it really was closest to homemade.

“Mighty Meals offer chunky textures, with tastes that are strong. So with Hearty Lamb Hotpot, you can see the pieces of lamb and potato. We’ve got Spinach Falafels, which actually has falafels in it. We’ve got Pork Meatballs that are actually with meatballs in it, not pureed, or lumps with some sauce. It’s all about the texture. It’s all the fi nest organic ingredients, but with a size of lumps that is more adult. It’s a different way of looking at it. It’s somewhere we can add a point of difference and differentiate.”

Rosier says Mighty Meals are selling “really, really well”, though she explains it is too early to release any sales fi gures. Three new recipes are due to be launched imminently, to bring the SKU count in the range to eight.

Fruit a key trend

It’s easy to see what attracted Hero to Organix: its baby foods and snacks recorded overall retail sales of £38 million ($59 million/€44 million) in

Snacks king Organix aims to take bite out of kids’ meals market

Swiss-based Hero Group has enjoyed 16% growth in its market-leading Organix brand in 2011, following 20% growth in 2010. The elements of its success include keeping at the cutting edge of snacking trends – and staying close to the brand’s natural and “closest to homemade” heritage. By RICHARD CLARKE.




the UK in the year to July 2011, an impressive 16% up on the previous year’s sales, building on a growth rate of 20% recorded the year before that (fi gures from IRI).

This year, Organix expects to enjoy growth in the region of 15%, partly off the back of the launch of Mighty Meals but also thanks to continued growth in sales of Goodies. The core range remains strong, with stalwarts – rice cakes, dried fruit and cereal bars – continuing to prosper. Rosier says this is because in the baby and toddler food aisle there are “new consumers coming in every day” for whom the range is fresh and exciting.

But nonetheless the company has continued to innovate in the snacks category under its Goodies brand, which is now worth £26 million ($40 million/€30 million) a year in sales. Recent launches include Mini Oaty Bites (bagged bite-sized versions of its cereal bars), fruit drinks with a sports cap, the new Squeezy range – which is pureed fruit in a pouch – and snack bars made from 100% dried fruit. Rosier says that, just as in the adult sector, fruit is now driving a lot of innovation in kids’ food.

“In the same way that in the adult market people’s repertoires of purchase become wider, their baby food repertoire also becomes wider. So it’s really important that we bring new versions of what’s trending in adult food into baby and toddler food. There’s a lot more about fruit, so we’re much more active in fruit now.”

Television debut

Organix has also put Goodies on television for the fi rst time with an advertising campaign that features the cartoon children used on the brand packaging (the ad is viewable here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6HdJc4N0sI).

The advert shows the children playing outdoors, while a voiceover

says: “Goodies snacks and drinks. They’re tasty, organic and toddlers love them. And we promise that we’ll never add any salt or processed sugars. Thank goodness for Goodies.”

Rosier says the TV campaign, which has been supported by print advertising in parenting and women’s lifestyle magazines, has been a huge success for the company. “It’s brought those characters to life. It puts them in the Goodies world and really makes the brand entertaining and engaging, to show Goodies is about fun and goodness.”

Rosier says that research conducted after the advert was aired found that Goodies’ prompted awareness levels among mothers with young children had risen to an all-time high of 90%. Further, she adds, retailers were “impressed” the company had invested in TV advertising. “It’s helped us with driving strong listings,” she says.

Social media, nursery programmes encourage interaction

Organix also makes good use of social media websites to strengthen the bond between the brand and consumers. On Facebook, for example, the company recently ran a competition to coincide with the launch of Mighty Meals. This helped increase the number of fans following the brand to more than 9,600 people at the time of writing.

The Organix Facebook page

also acts as a community site where advice on feeding kids can be shared by parents. Once a week, the page hosts a “Weaning Wednesday”, when members are invited to suggest answers to questions posted throughout the week by mothers of young children.

Another important part of the Organix marketing mix is the company’s Taste For Life programme. This is a free resource available to nurseries and pre-schools to help them teach children to enjoy fruit and vegetables by interacting with them.

Rosier explains: “We never ask them to eat them. We ask them to, say, brush their teeth with celery, or count peas into their mouth, or twizzle strawberries and squeeze them. We fi nd that, all of a sudden, kids are putting their hands in their mouth and they’re eating strawberries, or they’re tasting celery.”

Taste For Life was launched in June 2010 and there are now in the region of 2,500 nurseries signed up to the programme. New nurseries are recruited via direct mail, through the company’s website, and through Facebook, where mums are encouraged to ask their children’s nurseries to join the scheme.

Organix, like many other organic kids’ food brands, has continued to thrive throughout the economic downturn of the past three years or so, even though the organic market as a whole has declined as consumers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6HdJc4N0sI




rein in their spending habits. Rosier believes this is because expenditure on their children is the thing consumers cut last. “In baby food, there’s such a need for mum to feel that she’s keeping her child safe,” she says. “I think organic is a way for her to feel she is doing that.”

Dutch market a ‘perfect fi t’

Next on the agenda for Organix is expansion abroad. The company has for some time had export arrangements with markets as far afi eld as Australia, the Middle East and Asia. But recently it launched its snacks more strategically in the Dutch market (see http://www.organix.nl).

The Goodies brand was introduced to the Netherlands at the beginning of 2011 with Dutch packaging but

using the same No Junk Promise slogan as in the UK (‘junk’ means the same in Dutch as in English, says Rosier).

Rosier says the brand has performed strongly. “It’s gone really well. We’re in supermarket chains, we’ve taken some good share of the market and I think we’re up for continued growth. We’ve also launched a Dutch version of Taste for Life, because it is important not just to sell the food but to build the brand as well.”

The Netherlands was selected, says Rosier, because it was identifi ed as being at a similar stage in its development as the UK market was a decade ago. “They have a very traditional offer, but we saw a limited offer for mums that felt guilty about snacking, so the brand just fi tted perfectly well there. In the same way

that we brought something new to the UK, we’re bringing something new to the Netherlands.”

Backed by the international might of Hero, there are plans to roll Organix out to other markets. “We’re planning as to how we can conquer the world!” Rosier jokes, then – more seriously – says: “One of the key challenges for us is to make sure the insight is there that the mum feels guilty about snacking. For us to roll out Goodies, we have to have that insight. If people don’t have that feeling of guilt then the brand probably won’t be as successful.”

She concludes: “The main thing for us is that we’re still in strong growth. We’re in a good place. We’re sticking to our principles, what we set out to do in 1992, and it’s proving successful.”

Child: Hungry!

Child (as it goes down slide): Weeee!

Child: Yummy!

Voiceover: Goodies snacks and drinks

They are tasty, organic and toddlers love them

And we promise we will never add salt or any processed sugars

Children: Goodies, goody goody yum yum!

Voiceover: Thank goodness for Goodies!

GOODIES TELEVISION ADVERT

slide 1 slide 4

slide 2 slide 5

slide 3 slide 6

http://www.organix.nl



F O O D S E RV I C E C A S E S T U D Y

McDonald’s move to cut the calorie count of its iconic Happy Meal beginning in September may make a signifi cant difference to the nutritional intake of the kids who beg their mothers for the staple entry in the chain’s children’s menu. Or – like nearly every other brand’s high-profi le attempts so far – it may prove inconsequential in American society’s efforts to thwart childhood obesity.

But the Happy Meal overhaul isn’t likely to relieve McDonald’s of opposition from food activists to the raison d’etre of the world’s number one fast feeder: providing Americans and people all over the world, including their children, with inexpensive and tasty quick food.

“The critics will never be satisfi ed unless [McDonald’s] goes out of business,” said Cathy Kapica, former head of nutrition for McDonald’s and now global director of nutrition for Ketchum, a Chicago-based marketing agency that works with a variety of big CPG companies. “McDonald’s has responded to public-health concerns. Now it’s up to the consumer.”

A “necessary” and “good” move

Yet top-tier American restaurant consultant Ron Paul called McDonald’s gambit “a good move. They’re trying to stay ahead of the pressure by moving toward healthy alternatives, and they’re meeting the pressure groups halfway.” Or, as marketing professor Paul Kurnit put it, “It was a necessary move by

McDonald’s to keep advocates and regulators from playing a heavier hand in their business.”

McDonald’s surprised the nutritional world and the quick-serve restaurant industry this summer by announcing a new list of Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices. The aim was “to help customers – especially families and children – make nutrition-minded choices whether visiting McDonald’s or eating elsewhere,” the Oak Brook, Ill.-based chain said.

The Commitments included promises to cut added sugars, saturated fats and calories across McDonald’s menu by 2020, through varied portion sizes, reformulations and “innovations”. Also, by 2015, McDonald’s pledged to reduce sodium by an average of 15% across its national menu. The company also

planned to expand communication of nutrition information using digital and mobile media as well as in its restaurants.

Happy Meal makeover shrinks fries, adds apples

But the centerpiece of the Commitments was McDonald’s stunning concession to do still more to appease critics of its Happy Meal, and this time with a thorough makeover rather than just tinkering around the edges as it had before. Lately, the chain has been beset not only by the usual nutrition critics of the Happy Meal but also by political activists such as those who pressured San Francisco to effectively ban Happy Meals from the city.

Specifi cally, McDonald’s agreed to automatically include a quarter

McDonald’s surprises with Happy Meal makeover

Whether or not McDonald’s surprising “thorough makeover” of its Happy Meals – cutting calories by shrinking the portion size of fries and including sliced apples as standard – will improve the health of Americans is debatable. But experts agree the fast food chain had no choice but to respond to the nutrition critics. By DALE BUSS.




cup, or half serving, of apple slices in every Happy Meal as well as a new, smaller size of French fries, reduced to a 1.1oz (31g) serving from the previous 2.4oz (68g). And it is adding the choice of a new fat-free chocolate milk or 1% low-fat white milk instead of a soda. Parents can even get two bags of apple slices instead of including fries in the meal at all. And McDonald’s is removing the caramel dipping sauce for apples even though that is popular with kids.

Overall, the chain said, the changes will cut the calorie content of “the most popular Happy Meals” by about 20% as well as reduce fat. McDonald’s said that it also planned to research alternatives to apples such as other produce and other low-fat dairy items. McDonald’s planned to have the new Happy Meals rolled out to all of its 14,000 US restaurants by the fi rst quarter of 2012 and to launch new national marketing initiatives next year designed to support the effort and further raise Americans’ consciousness about childhood nutrition.

Academics applaud changes but will the public bite?

The company found academics willing to support the move in McDonald’s own press release. “They have captured the intent of the [new US 2010 Dietary] Guidelines and have taken a reasoned, evidence-based approach that should have a positive impact on the millions of children and adults McDonald’s serves every day,” said Roger Clemens, of the University of Southern California, a member of the federal dietary-guidelines committee.

Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Obesity Research at the University of Washington, agreed, saying, “Better to improve the diets of many than to seek perfection for the few.”

But what can McDonald’s and its US consumers really expect to change because of the new Happy Meal?

There remains a lot of skepticism about whether the new Happy Meal options will really make a bottom-line difference to the nutritional health of American kids, even as popular as the Happy Meal is. McDonald’s itself noted that it has offered apples as a requestable option for Happy Meals, over fries, since 2004, and that apples have been chosen for only 11% of Happy Meal purchases – even though 88% of McDonald’s customers, on average, are aware of the option. Now that apple slices will be included in every Happy Meal, will more American kids actually eat them – or just waste them?

Fries unfairly targeted?

Some nutritionists also point out that cutting the serving size of fries in the Happy Meal isn’t necessarily a net nutritional gain – that French fries have been unjustifi ably vilifi ed as “junk food” in the American media. For one thing, fries include important nutrients such as potassium and fi bre. And for another, they just aren’t a nutritional bogeyman.

“There is absolutely no evidence that consuming French fries or potatoes causes obesity,” said Marjorie Freeman, an assistant professor of nutrition at San Jose State University who has extensively studied the nutritional characteristics of potatoes. The causes of obesity “are typically eating patterns anyway”.

And that fact offers one explanation for why French fries so often get fi ngered as a nutritional culprit: because they are part of so many meals at fast-food places where other typically-consumed foods, especially hamburgers and carbonated soft drinks, are of mixed or no nutritional value.

Happy Meal “not the problem”

Another big issue is exactly how relevant Happy Meals are to what children actually eat at McDonald’s. The meal is aimed mainly at six- to seven-year-olds, Ketchum’s Kapica said, so one issue that unfortunately has gotten mixed into the Happy Meal controversy is that parents are inappropriately buying Happy Meals for toddlers.

At the same time, many parents opt to buy adult-sized sandwiches for kids who are at the appropriate age for Happy Meal portions. “Managers would watch and see parents of seven- and eight-year-olds buying big sandwiches for kids and the parents would say, ‘They’re big eaters’,” recalled Kapica from her tenure at McDonald’s. “But that’s a problem. And the new Happy Meal really won’t change that problem because the problem was never the Happy Meal to begin with.”

Move could “backfi re”

Indeed, Paul, president of Chicago-based Technomic, said that McDonald’s move “may backfi re” in that regard. “When kids see what the new Happy Meal is, they may decide that they want to go with a bigger burger instead and not fool around with the Happy Meal. Or kids may think that the fries are too [few]. Another thing is that the Happy Meal can cost more than some burgers.”

As Professor Freeman sees it, “Now McDonald’s is saying, ‘We’re not going to give them a choice about what’s in the Happy Meal, just give it to them.’ Whether they eat it is another story. It’s kind of become like the school lunch where, by law, you have to serve certain things.”

Technomic’s Paul believes that, “from an overall business point of view, this won’t move the needle” for McDonalds. “But from a PR




standpoint, they’ve got to respond to these pressure groups.”

A smart move

Kapica believes that, overall, McDonald’s new course is savvy. “It’s a smart move,” she said. “Research shows that parents will make choices for their kids that are smart dietary choices but not so much when it comes to themselves; they eat what they want. So they haven’t done anything to alienate their core customer [with the Commitments]. But they have improved things for kids.”

And Freeman believes that McDonald’s move is simply in line with the general direction of nutritional science and the popular culture in a nation that seems slowly to be coming to grips with the implications of its woeful diet.

“I don’t think McDonald’s is doing it as a concession,” said Professor Freeman. “There is a positive change in our country in terms of the awareness of obesity and the health conditions associated with it, and an awareness that eating habits are formed early in life, so it’s never too early to eat healthy.”

One of the original marketers of the Happy Meal even believes that the change could lead to a trailblazing role for McDonald’s in childhood nutrition. When McDonald’s

introduced smaller, hand-sized plastic bottles of milk to the Happy Meal several years ago instead of paper cartons, “it had a very positive effect on milk consumption across the country overall,” recalled Colleen Fahey, who was with a local advertising agency in Kansas City when McDonald’s introduced the Happy Meal as a local promotion, and who now is chief strategy offi cer

of VerveLife, a Chicago-based marketing agency.

Next, Fahey said, McDonald’s could consider something like introducing to the Happy Meal playfully shaped or coloured carrots. “They’ve been able to optimize this balance between nutrition and fun for a long time,” Fahey said of the chain. “That would be one more way to do it.”

Added Real Fruit Smoothies to the McCafe line made with low-fat yogurt and delivering about ½ cup of fruit (small).

For more information about McDonald’s “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices” visit www.McDonalds.com/Changing.

For nutrition-related questions, contact us at [email protected] accurate as of July, 2011.

For more than 50 years, McDonald’s has been evolving our menu and nutritional choices in response to customers’ needs and nutrition preferences. Through our “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices” our journey continues to making improved nutrition choices available, accessible and affordable as we champion the well-being of the

customers and communities we serve.

1955

2002

2004

1996

1979

2006

1972

1978

2003

20082010

2011

2005

Ray Kroc opened his fi rst McDonald’s in Des Plaines, IL with an original menu consisting of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, soft drinks, milk,

coffee and milkshakes.

Joined the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative and adopted its fi rst voluntary

Food Pledge to only nationally advertise foods to kids that met specifi c nutrition standards.

Introduced the Snack Wrap® offering customers smaller size portions of chicken sandwiches.

Launched Happy Meal choices, offering kids new choices like Apple Dippers, 1% low-fat white and

chocolate milk jugs, and 100% apple juice.

Launched the Food and Nutrition section on

www.mcdonalds.com.

Introduced Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait, with about 1/3 cup of low-fat yogurt.

Introduced the Happy Meal® to core menu.

The Egg McMuffi n® sandwich is introduced as McDonald’s fi rst breakfast menu item.

McDonald’s was one of the fi rst restaurants to make nutrition information available for customers.

Introduced the new Chicken McNuggets® made with white meat.

Introduced “Bag-a-McMeal” and “Customize Your Order” nutritionalonline tools on mcdonalds.com.

Introduced Premium Salads to the menu, each delivers about three cups of vegetables.

Reduced the sodium in Chicken McNuggets by 13%.

Announced that all fried national menu items in McDonald’s U.S. restaurants are zero grams artifi cial trans fat, per labeled serving.

Introduced Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, providing two of the three recommended daily servings of whole grains.

McDonald’s reduced sodium by 10 percent in the majority of its national chicken menu offerings – most recently Chicken McNuggets®, a Happy Meal favorite.

Incorporated nutrition information to Happy Meal boxes and bags.

Introduced Fruit & Walnut Salad, whichdelivers about a one-half cup of fruit.

McDonald’s became the fi rst Quick Service Restaurant to join Produce for Better Health Foundation and its efforts toencourage greater consumption of fruits and vegetables.

McDonald’s has been a leader in providing nutrition information for guests. Today, we provide nutritional information to our customers in 8 different ways, including our fi rst mobile app so customers can access nutrition information on-the-go.

In 2010, McDonald’s served more than 197 million Milk Jugs and 90.6 million Apple Dippers.

As a result, an estimated 146 million servings of fruit as well as over 292 million servings of whole grains will be introduced to the U.S. food supply in 2011.

McDonald’s® “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices”

Nutrition and MenuInnovation Milestones

McDonald’s launches “Commitments to Improved Nutrition Choice” including: Champion children’s well being

Today, McDonald’s has wholesome breakfast choices for 300 calories or less each, including the Egg McMuffi n as well as Fruit ‘n

Yogurt Parfait, Fruit & Walnut Salad and Fruit & Maple Oatmeal.

© 2011 McDonald’s

First QSR to receive The Fruits & Veggies-More Matters Role Model award for efforts to encourage greater consumption of fruits and vegetables.



R E G U L AT O RY C A S E S T U D Y

Mainstream food and beverage marketers and quick-serve restaurants gained some major concessions from the Obama administration in mid-October over regulators’ efforts to rein in their marketing to children. But industry representatives insist they’re not satisfi ed with the skin-back alone and continue to seek a complete cessation of the federal government’s efforts to control their marketing.

The Interagency Working Group (IWG) – comprised of representatives of the major relevant regulatory bodies of the US government – aimed high earlier this year when it unveiled a proposal for ambitious new “voluntary” standards for marketers that would severely curtail how they now market to children. The rationale for the push was that advertisers needed to do much more than they already have in a broad effort with government to halt the alarming and epidemic rise of obesity among American children.

But marketers and their lobbying representatives in Washington, D.C., argued vociferously against the purpose and specifi cs of the IWG’s efforts, alleging that:

• the standards would be de facto requirements instead of suggestions

• there is no data proving a link between their marketing and rising obesity among kids, and

• the regulators hadn’t met Congress’s request for a cost-benefi t analysis spelling out what American children and their parents really could be expected to gain if the industries adopted the standards wholeheartedly; besides, the

industries said, they already have launched substantial and growing self-regulatory efforts aimed at the problem.

A signifi cant mid-course correction by the federal government came in testimony delivered on October 12 by David Vladeck, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, on behalf of the IWG. Among other things, Vladeck said, the group decided to stop targeting “brand equity” fi gures such as Ronald McDonald and SpongeBob Square Pants that are used in marketing to kids, often to great effect.

The regulators also decided to drop the idea of applying tightened standards for most marketing, with the exception of certain in-school marketing activities, to 12- to 17-year-olds as well as the traditionally covered 2- to 11-year-old cohort. “In fact, it is often diffi cult to distinguish marketing designed to appeal to this age group from marketing directed to a general or adult audience,” Vladeck said.

He concluded, “As a result of the many comments we received from various stakeholders and an assessment” of the proposal, [IWG] is in the midst of making signifi cant revisions to its preliminary proposal. The anticipated revisions go a long way to address the industry’s concerns.”

“Seriously fl awed”

But Dan Jaffe, executive vice president of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), wasn’t appeased. “When people do things

you have asked, you want to say, ‘Thank you, we appreciate it,’” he told Kids Nutrition Report. “But there was a lot more we were talking about. For instance, the overly rigid standards they’re proposing for marketing to kids under 12 is still a problem; you can’t just say, ‘We lopped off part of the problem, and you should be happy because we gave you something you wanted.’ Does this proposal make sense and is it good for society?”

And overall, Jaffe said in his testimony for the ANA at the same Congressional subcommittee hearing where Vladeck testifi ed, the IWG’s proposal is “radical, seriously fl awed, could be economically disastrous and should be formally withdrawn”.

And Gene Grabowski, who represents the industry for Levick Strategic Communications, remarked that “it’s hard to justify anything as sweeping” as what the IWG wants to do. As bad as the childhood-obesity problem has grown in the US, he said, “there’s no statistical evidence that childhood obesity is linked to marketing, and especially marketing of cartoon characters or athletes or celebrities”.

“Fear-mongering”

On the other hand, Margo Wootan, nutrition policy director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a big industry critic, warned the IWG not to kowtow to “panicked junk-food advertisers” that have “resorted to a misleading campaign of fear-mongering and phony facts to kill these voluntary nutrition standards.”

Industry: end marketing control movesDissatisfi ed with recent concessions by government over its plans to control marketing to children, US food and beverage interests are demanding a complete halt to the regulators’ efforts. Are their demands a “misleading campaign of fear-mongering and phony facts to kill voluntary nutrition standards” or a rational response to pro-posals that are “radical, seriously fl awed, [and] could be economically disastrous”? By DALE BUSS.



N U T R I T I O N N E W S

Overall quality of pregnant woman’s diet affects birth defect riskThe overall quality of a pregnant woman’s diet is linked with risk for two types of serious birth defects, a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine has shown. In the study, women who ate better before and during pregnancy gave birth to fewer infants with malformations of the brain and spinal cord, or orofacial clefts, such as cleft lip and cleft palate.

Prior research on diet and birth defects has generally addressed one nutrient at a time – folic acid, for example, shown to protect against brain or spinal cord malformations known as neural tube defects. However, after fortifi cation of the US food supply with folic acid in 1998, these types of birth defects did not completely disappear. And other defects, including cleft lip and palate, remained a concern in the population. So scientists began examining other single-nutrient players in the diet-defect connection.

The new study took a different approach.

“Our study showed for the fi rst time that the overall quality of the diet, and not just a single nutrient, matters in terms of reducing the risk of birth defects,” said Suzan Carmichael, PhD, who is the fi rst author of the study and an associate professor of pediatrics. The study was also the fi rst to connect diet quality with reduced risk for cleft lip or cleft palate, she added.

“In the past, we’ve been trying to disentangle a particular nutrient from the composite diet. I think we’re wrong in that approach,” said Gary Shaw, DrPH, professor of pediatrics and the study’s senior author. “It would have been really nice to have the magic bullet against birth defects. Folic acid was the hope for a magic bullet, and it clearly made a

difference, but only made some of the difference.”

The study asked women from 10 US states to answer detailed questions about their eating habits immediately before and during pregnancy. The subjects included 3,824 women whose fetuses or infants had a neural tube defect or a cleft lip or palate, and 6,807 women with healthy infants.

To calculate the protection conferred by the healthiest diets, women were ranked by diet score and then divided into four comparison groups. The women with the highest scores (in the top 25%) were 36% to 51% less likely than those with the lowest scores (the lowest 25%) to have a pregnancy affected by anencephaly, depending on which dietary scoring system was used. Similarly, the women with the highest diet quality scores had approximately 24% to 34% protection against giving birth to a child with cleft lip. Higher diet quality was also protective against the other two birth defects that were studied — spina bifi da and cleft palate — but results were not quite as strong.

“The take-home message from the current work is that diet matters,” Shaw said. “A better diet seems to make a difference in protecting against birth defects.”

The reason a generally healthy diet confers more protection against these birth defects than a single measure, such as folic acid supplementation, is still not known, the researchers said. However, there are several possibilities. For one thing, eating a variety of healthy foods doesn’t leave as much room in the diet for junk foods. Avoidance of unhealthy foods might explain some of the reduced risk. Another possibility is that healthy foods are more than the sum of their nutrients.

“We may be capturing qualities of these foods that are benefi cial to health but haven’t been measured in isolation,” Carmichael said. And the combinations of nutrients in such foods may also be important, she added. “In our bodies,

nutrients interact. They don’t just act in isolation; they depend on each other.” So, for instance, eating fruits and vegetables that deliver several nutrients simultaneously may have greater benefi ts than consuming more of a single nutrient, she said.

It’s also possible that healthy diet is a marker for some other component of a mother’s lifestyle that protects against birth defects.

The researchers plan to extend their fi ndings with future studies that examine the relationship between diet quality and other pregnancy outcomes, including other types of birth defects. They also hope to gain a better understanding of how a healthy diet exerts its protective effect.

In an accompanying editorial, David R. Jacobs, Jr., Ph.D., from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and colleagues note that while maternal intake of folate is important for fetal development, recent studies suggest the supplemental folic acid may have adverse health effects on older adults.

“The importance of the fi ndings of Carmichael et al lies in showing that women obtain benefi t from the consumption of a high-quality diet, beyond the benefi ts derived through grain fortifi cation. This raises the question of whether a high-quality diet alone may be suffi cient to prevent NTDs (neural tube defects) – a strategy that would also remove the potential harm from fortifi cation.”

“The lesson from the article by Carmichael et al is an important one: people, including women of childbearing age, should eat good food.”

“Reduction of NTDs may be achievable by diet alone, at the same time reducing potential risk for other chronic diseases in the rest of the population.”

Suzan Carmichael, Gary Shaw and Wei Yang, study published online Oct. 3 2011 in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.



N U T R I T I O N N E W S

Infl ammatory food toxins found in high levels in infants

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found high levels of food toxins called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) in infants – toxins they believe could be linked with risk of diabetes, and which they say are found in high levels in commercial infant formulas.

“Excessive food AGEs, through both maternal blood transmission and baby formula, could together signifi cantly increase children’s risk for diseases such as diabetes from a very young age,” said the authors.

A second study of AGEs in adults found that cutting back on processed, grilled, and fried foods, which are high in AGEs, may improve insulin resistance in people with diabetes. AGEs – toxic glucose by products previously tied to high blood sugar – are found in most heated foods and, in great excess, in commercial infant formulas.

The fi rst report (1) showed that AGEs can be elevated as early as at birth, indicating that infants are highly susceptible to the infl ammation associated with insulin resistance and diabetes later in life. Helen Vlassara, MD, Professor and Director of the Division of Experimental Diabetes and Aging, working with Jaime Uribarri, MD, Professor of Medicine and colleagues at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, looked at 60 women and their infants to see if there was a passive transfer of AGEs from the blood of mothers to their babies. They found that newborn infants, expected to be practically AGE-free, had levels of AGEs in their blood as high as their adult mothers.

Within the fi rst year of life, after switching from breast milk onto commercial formulas, the infants’ AGEs had doubled to levels seen in people with diabetes, and many had elevated insulin levels. Formulas that are processed under high heat can contain 100 times more AGEs than human breast milk, delivering a huge AGE surplus to infants, which could be toxic.

“Modern food AGEs can overwhelm the body’s defenses, a worrisome fact especially for young children,” said Dr. Vlassara. “More research is certainly needed, but the fi ndings confi rm our studies in genetic animal models of diabetes. Given the rise in the incidence of diabetes in children, safe and low cost AGE-less approaches to children’s diet should be considered by clinicians and families.”

The work led to a second report (2) which demonstrates that a modest cut in foods high in AGEs may improve insulin resistance in adults with diabetes. AGEs were found to be elevated in most grilled, fried, or baked foods. Cutting back on the consumption of foods that are heat-processed, but without reducing fat or carbohydrate consumption, improved insulin levels and overall health in patients already treated for, but remaining, insulin resistant. The fi ndings are a dramatic departure from standard clinical recommendations for the management of diabetes.

“This clinical study begins to expose the double role food AGEs play in obesity and in diabetes, a major concern for everyone today, particularly young children…The tenets of the diet could not be simpler; turn down the heat, add water, and eat more at home,” said Dr Vlassara.1. Diabetes Care, December 2010 2. Diabetes Care, July 2011

Vitamin D-fortifi ed milk enough to boost serum 25(OH)D

In New Zealand, where vitamin D intake in young children is minimal, scientists have found that habitual consumption of vitamin D-fortifi ed milk providing a mean intake of nearly 4 μg/d is effective in achieving adequate year-round serum 25(OH)D for most children.

The scientists investigated the effect of vitamin D-fortifi ed milk on serum 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations and examined the dose–response relationship between vitamin D intake from study milks (supplied by dairy group Fonterra) and serum 25(OH)D concentrations in 181

healthy toddlers aged 12–20 months living in Dunedin, New Zealand (latitude 46°S).

They used data from a 20-week, partially blinded, randomized trial that investigated the effect of providing red meat or fortifi ed toddler milk on the iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamin D status in young New Zealand children.

Mean vitamin D intake provided by fortifi ed milk was 3.7 μg/d (range, 0–10.4 μg/d). After 20 weeks, serum 25(OH)D concentrations but not PTH were signifi cantly different in the milk groups. The prevalence of having a serum 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L remained relatively unchanged at 43% in the meat group, whereas it signifi cantly decreased to between 11 and 15% in those consuming fortifi ed study milk. Lisa A. Houghton et al, Journal of Nutrition

Kids who drink more green tea have less fl u?

Drinking between one and fi ve cups a day of green tea may prevent infl uenza infection in children, according to scientists in Japan.

“Green tea is known to contain antiviral components that prevent infl uenza infection,” commented the authors. “A limited number of adult clinical studies have been undertaken, but there is a paucity of clinical evidence concerning children.”

The authors studied data on green tea consumption and the incidence of infl uenza infection among 2050 schoolchildren aged six to 13 in Kikugawa City (a tea plantation area).

The adjusted OR associated with the consumption of green tea for ≥6 d/wk compared with <3 d/wk was 0.60 [(95% CI = 0.39–0.92); P = 0.02] in cases of infl uenza confi rmed by the antigen test. Meanwhile, the adjusted OR inversely associated with the consumption of 1 cup/d to <3 cups/d (1 cup = 200 mL) and 3–5 cups/d compared with <1 cup/d were 0.62 [(95% CI = 0.41–0.95); P = 0.03] and 0.54 [(95% CI = 0.30–0.94); P = 0.03], respectively. However, there was no signifi cant association with the consumption of >5 cups/d.Mijong Park et al, Journal of Nutrition, October 2011



N E W P R O D U C T S

Country Company Brand & Product Description

All new product information is sourced exclusively from Mintel’s GNPD (Global New Products Database), which can be visited at www.gnpd.com. Mintel can be contacted at 18-19 Long Lane, London EC1A 9PL, U.K.. Tel. +44-(0)20-7606-4533, Fax

FUNCTIONAL & HEALTHY-EATING NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHESEach issue we summarise new kids’ nutritional product launches from around the world.

PART 1: USA AND CANADA – FOOD & BEVERAGES

BABY FOOD

Canada Nestlé Gerber Graduates Yummy Vanilla Flavoured Toddler Drink Powder

Contains 28 nutrients, is a good source of calcium and iron and includes 25 vitamins to help support normal growth and development. Also contains probiotic B. lactis which contributes to a healthy digestive tract flora.

Canada Nestlé Nestlé Gerber Wheat, Yogurt & Blueberry

With wholesome cereals that support a normal baby’s growth and features the goodness of yogurt, which is a source of calcium. With probiotic lactis to contribute to baby’s healthy digestive tract.

USA Gerber Gerber Pure Purified Water Features added minerals for taste and is free of fluoride and sodium.

USA Abbott Laboratories Abbott Similac Sensitive Infant Formula for Spit-Up

Relaunched with a new brand name and is now available in a newly designed 1-qt. bottle. The new Perfect Bottle is claimed to have extra space inside to allow shaking and easy pouring.

USA Target Up & Up Banana Flavored Yogurt Bites

Said to be ideal for children beginning to self-feed. With real freeze-dried fruit yogurt and are easy to pick up. No preservatives, artificial flavors or colors.

USA Abbott Laboratories Abbott Similac Expert Care For Diarrhea Infant Formula for Diarrhea for Babies and Toddlers

The ready to feed formula is made with iron and is claimed to be for the management of diarrhea.

USA Abbott Laboratories Abbott Similac Sensitive Concentrated Liquid Infant Formula

Particularly for babies with fussiness and gas due to lactose sensitivity. Provides complete nutrition for sensitive tummies and features “Early Shield”, which maintains immune support, strong bones, and brain and eye development.

USA Wallaby Wallababy Organic Banana Yogurt for Babies

Made with organic whole milk, all natural ingredients and contains live active cultures. Formulated with premium fruit as well as being enriched with vitamin D and zinc to support baby’s development.

USA Gerber Gerber Smartnourish 2nd Foods Organic Butternut Squash & Corn

Unsweetened, unsalted, and contains no added starch, no artificial flavours or colours. It contains 18mg DHA & 25mg choline per serving for healthy brain and eye development, and is an excellent source of protective antioxidant vitamin A (from beta carotene) to help support baby’s natural defenses.

USA Gerber Gerber 1st Foods SmartNourish Organic Apples

Contain DHA and choline to support brain and eye development. The organic fruit provides protective antioxidant vitamins C and E.

USA Mead Johnson Enfagrow Premium Older Toddler Vanilla Flavoured Toddler Drink

With a triple health guard complex that supports: growth, with 25 nutrients; brain development, with DHA and iron; and the immune system, with antioxidants and prebiotics.

USA Gerber Gerber Graduates Very Berry Blend Fruit & Veggie Melts

Freeze-dried fruit and vegetable snacks specially designed for toddlers. Easy to chew and swallow and not messy. Contain three fruit and veggie servings per bag and vitamins A, C and E for healthy growth and natural immune support.

USA The Hain Celestial Group Earth’s Best Organic Apple Sweet Potato Whole Grain Mixed Grain Cereal

Easily digestible, iron fortified and free of genetically engineered ingredients, refined sugar and artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.

USA Gerber Gerber Graduates Fruit Pick-Ups Diced Apples in Grape Juice from Concentrate

Now available in a new self-feed tray. Made with 100% natural fruit and juice, contains two serving of fruit and 100% daily value of vitamin C.

BAKERY

USA Sara Lee Sara Lee Iron Kids Better White Bread

Two times the fiber and four times the calcium of standard white bread. This wholewheat product contains 0g trans fat.

USA Treasure Mills Treasure Mills School Safe Chocolicious Cookie Bars

Nutritionally balanced with fibre, fat, sugar and iron.

BEVERAGES

USA Chiquita Brands Chiquita Smashers Orange Crushed Fruit Drink

Made with real fruit and contains no added sugar. It is targeted at children and provides 230% of the daily value of vitamin C per serving.

USA Mott’s Mott’s For Tots 40% Less Sugar Apple Juice Beverage

Made from concentrate with other natural flavors. It provides 100% daily value of vitamin C.

USA Nestlé Infant Nutrition Boost Nutritional Energy Drink Chocolate flavored and contains 24 vitamins and minerals, 4g of sugar and only 190 calories. Contains protein to maintain muscles and control hunger. Free from gluten and lactose.

USA Cocokefir Tula’s CocoKefir Citrus Flavored Refreshing Probiotic Drink

Naturally low in sugar, low in calorie and free from dairy, gluten and fat. It is made from young coconut water and according to the manufacturer, children love the taste of it. Said to restore the body with the healthful benefits of live probiotics.

USA Webb Candy Nickelodeon Dora The Explorer Caramel Magic Milk Straws

No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. The gluten-free, easy-to-use product retails in a pack of five 0.21-oz. single use straws.

USA AM Consolidated NutraKist H2GO 4 Kids Purified Drinking Water

Said to be a great choice for families on the go, perfect for lunches and sporting events, and it can be frozen at home to keep lunches chilled.

USA Wal-Mart Disney Pixar Cars 2 Purified Water Enhanced with minerals for taste.

USA PR Organics Peter Rabbit Organics Organic Fruit Snack Squeeze Pouches

A blend of organic fruit juices in two flavors: Apple & Grape, and Strawberry & Banana. Contains no added sugar, water or fillers and retails in a BPA-free pack with nine 3.5-oz. resealable pouches with a built-in straw. Each pouch provides one serving of fruit.




BREAKFAST CEREALS

Canada General Mills General Mills Kix Berry Berry Cereal

Sweetened corn cereal with natural berry flavours. The whole grain product is naturally flavoured, kid tested and mother approved.

USA Post Foods Post Pebbles Boulders Wholesome Sweetened Cereal

Said to be excellent source of vitamin D and promotes healthy bones. Claimed to contain less sugar and more whole grain than Honey Nut Cheerios.

USA Nestlé Nestlé Baby Ruth Candy Bar Repackaged to promote the fact that it contains 4g of protein per two pieces of chocolate.

DAIRY

USA Horizon Organic Dairy Horizon Organic Chocolate Organic Lowfat Milk

Packaging now features ‘Smart Nutrition’ and highlights the product has a great taste loved by kids. Made with added vitamin A, vitamin D, contains no artificial colors, flavors or high fructose corn syrup. An excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, and provides 8g of protein per serving.

USA Dannon Dannon Danimals Double Crush Cup Straw-Banana-Rama Flavored Lowfat Yogurt

Now in a newly designed 1-lb. pack containing 4 x 4-oz. squeeze cups. Contains 1% milk fat, and is a good source of calcium, protein and vitamin D. Free from artificial colors, flavors and high fructose corn syrup. Features two flavors in a cup, does not require a spoon.

USA The Kroger Co. Kroger The Truly Awesome Low Fat Yogurt

With stevia, contains 1% milk fat and added vitamins A and D. Contains no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup, and contains 25% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt.

USA Ouhlala Gourmet Ouh...làlà! Buddy Fruits Peach Blended Fruit & Skim Milk

An all natural peach flavored blended juice with milk. One serving contains only 70 calories. Free from preservatives, colorings, additives, fat, genetic modification, added water, dairy, thickeners, gluten, artificial ingredients and rBST hormones. Contains one serving of fruit per pouch.

USA Aldi Friendly Farms MooTubes On-The-Go Low Fat Yogurt

Contains four tubes each of strawberry and blueberry flavors. A good source of calcium.

USA Kroger Kroger The Truly Awesome Strawberry Blast Flavoured Low Fat Yogurt Tubes

Contain natural flavor with other natural flavors and have calcium and vitamins A & D added. This grade A pasteurized product with kid friendly flavors is free from rBST, high fructose syrup and artificial flavors and contains bifidobacterium.

USA Organic Prairie Family of Farms Organic Valley Stringles Organic Mozzarella String Cheese

Certified organic and is made with low moisture, part skim mozzarella cheese. Contains no antibiotics, synthetic hormones, pesticides or artificial colours. Rich in calcium for strong bones.

USA Dannon Dannon Dan-o-nino Dairy Snack New pack features a seed packet included with the product. Contains vitamin D, 10% more of the DV of calcium than leading kids yogurt, and no high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or flavors.

DESSERTS & ICE CREAM

Canada Kozy Shack Kozy Shack Smart Gels Kids Grape Flavoured Gel

Naturally flavoured and is made with no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. It is gluten free, peanut free, vegan, and is made without high fructose corn syrup or animal by-products.

MEALS & MEAL CENTERS

USA Trader Joe’s Trader Joe’s Organic Joe’s O’s Pasta Organic pasta in organic tomato and cheese sauce.

USA Amy’s Kitchen Amy’s Kids Meals Baked Ziti Made with organic pasta, vegetables and fruit. Gluten free, dairy free, contains 0g trans fat. No added preservatives, MSG (mono sodium glutamate), and no bioengineered ingredients.

USA Perdue Perdue Whole Grain Chicken Breast Lightning Bolt Sticks

100% all natural ingredients. Free of preservatives and fillers and are made with white meat chicken that is an excellent source of protein.

SNACKS

USA H-E-B H-E-B Chewy Bars S’mores Granola Bars

Made with whole grain and contain 100 calories per bar.

USA Clif Bar & Company Clif Kid Crispy Rice ZBar Chocolate Whole Grain Rice Crispy Bar

An organic snack designed to keep kids going, growing, and exploring. Contains whole grains, no high fructose corn syrup and it is claimed to be an excellent source of calcium.

USA Clif Bar & Company Clif Kid Organic ZBar Full Moon Brownie Baked Whole Grain Energy Snack

A new flavor in the ZBar line and comes in a Halloween themed packaging. This white chocolate chip brownie is made with 8g whole grains, 12 vitamins and minerals and no high fructose corn syrup. Said to be a healthier option for Halloween.

USA Mini Pops Mini Pops Subatomic Sea Salt Air Popped Sorghum

Compared to regular popcorn, is lower in saturated fats, contains fewer calories, more protein, is higher in iron, high in fibre and has no hulls. Organic.

USA Farley’s & Sathers Candy Mott’s For Tots All Natural Fruit Snacks

Claimed to contain 25% less sugar compared to regular fruit snacks and to be smaller, softer and easier to chew. Free of gluten, fat, artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners and preservatives. A good source of vitamin C and made with real fruit juice.

USA Cytosport Mighty Milk Peanut Butter & Jelly Flavored Nutrition Bar

A good source of protein. Free of gluten and trans fat and contains all natural flavors.

USA Utz Quality Foods Utz Disney Pixar Cars Shaped Pretzel Snacks

Contain no trans fat, no saturated fat and no cholesterol. Retails in a 17.5-oz. pack containing 35 x 0.5-oz. snack bags, each 50 calories worth. Pack bears the Snacking Smart logo.

SWEET SPREADS

USA Hero Hero Fruit Spreadables Mixed Berry Seedless Fruit Spread

100% natural and free of high fructose corn syrup, flavoring and coloring.

CHOCOLATE CONFECTIONERY

PROCESSED FISH, MEAT & EGG PRODUCTS




Country Company Brand & Product DescriptionPART 2: REST OF THE WORLD – FOODS & BEVERAGES

BABY FOOD

Argentina Nestlé Nestlé Nestum Cereal Based Milkshake

Now with a new formula containing Protect Plus bifidus BL. Made with corn flour, dulce de leche, vitamins and minerals. Contains: bifidus BL that acts in the baby’s immune system, iron, zinc and vitamins A and C that provide a healthy skin. Vitamin C is said to help iron absorption, and the product also helps digestion.

Australia Heinz Heinz Organic Apple Mini Rice Cakes with Wholegrains

Reformulated. Enriched with iron to assist with a child’s healthy growth and development, and made using organic wholegrain brown rice and apple juice. Feature a light texture that is easy to chew and swallow. No artificial colours or preservatives, salt or sugar, and are free from peanuts, eggs, and milk.

Austria Milupa Milupa Aptamil Junior Child’s Milk This gluten-free product contains Immunofortis, a unique, patented mix of galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides to strengthen the immune system.

Brazil Nestlé Nestlé Mucilon Prontinho Ready to Drink Cereal Beverage

Made with rice, wheat, corn, and the NutriPROTECT formula, which is rich in minerals, vitamins and provides a source of iron.

Czech Republic Madeta Madeta Lipanek Baby Probiotic Yogurt

Made with apple and carrot and contains the probiotic culture synbiotec with two highly resistant strains of probiotics. These cultures remain in the bowel and are proven to help increase immunity in children from an early age.

Denmark Lovemade Lovemade Apple & Blueberry Baby Food

100% organic and free of gluten, additives and artificial flavours. Made “with a mother’s desire for healthy food and a gourmet focus on taste and qual-ity”.

France Blédina Blédina Blédichef Vegetable, Pasta & Salmon Casserole

Made with easy-to-chew chunks this product with vitamins has balanced salt levels and contains no colourants or added preservatives.

France Scamark Marque Repère Mots d’Enfants Orchard Fruits Compote

This smooth fruit purée does not contain any pieces and provides a source of fibres.

India Heinz Complan Nutri-Gro Premium Chocolate Flavoured Complete Planned Food

Now in a redesigned 400g pack featuring a new look. This easy-to-digest product is formulated with Immunity Builders that help build internal resistance power, DHA for brain functioning , zinc, selenium, vitamins A, C and E, FOS pre-biotic fibre, copper, and 100% milk protein and key growth nutrients. Helps release energy from food.

India Heinz Heinz Little Kids Wholegrain Cereal Bars

These toddler-friendly sized bars are made with a blend of wholemeal flour, rolled oats, wheat bran and fruit. A source of dietary fiber, contains wholegrains and fruit, but no added preservatives, artificial flavours or colours.

Indonesia Fonterra Brands Anmum Essential Vanilla Flavoured Growing Up Milk (Stage 3)

Improved recipe contains omega-3, omega-6, calcium, inulin, FOS, DHA, and NutriVit, which is a combination of vitamin A that can help prevent anae-mia, vitamin C and vitamin E that work together as antioxidants, selenium, iron, zinc and copper. Also reformulated is Honey Flavoured Growing Up Milk (Stage 4). The new formula contains omega-3, omega-6, calcium, inulin, FOS, DHA, and NutriVit which is a combination of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, iron, zinc and copper. According to the manufacturer, inulin and FOS help to defend the digestive system.

Indonesia Nestlé Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Mini Fruits Apple Fruit Snacks

Bite-sized, freeze dried fruit snacks specially made for toddlers’ develop-mental and nutritional needs. 100% real fruit, contain no artificial flavour or preservatives. Dissolves quickly into soft pieces. The 28g resealable pack provides four servings of fruit per bag.

Indonesia Nestlé Gerber DHA & Probiotic Single Grain Oatmeal Cereal for Baby

With a NutriProtect blend that provides essential vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc and vitamins B and E. Contains Bifidus BL, a beneficial probi-otic that helps support a healthy immune system; 18g of DHA to help sup-port brain and eye development; and is an excellent source of iron. Free from added salt, refined sugar, artificial flavors and colors.

Japan Glico Dairy Products Glico Sporon Plum Flavoured Still Drink

Now with a newly designed pack comprising 4 x 100ml spill-proof cartons with straws. A lactic acid bacteria drink.

Japan Danone Baby Danone 10 Green Vegetables Yogurt

Designed so that babies will become used to eating vegetables and con-tains 10 types of green vegetables. It features a mildly sweet taste and contains lactic acid bacteria that is gentle on the baby’s stomach. Free from added sugar. A yellow vegetable variety containing 10 types of yellow veg-etables is also available.

Mexico The Nest Collective Plum Organics Baby Training Meals Pasta with Chicken and Vegetables

A hearty blend of organic baby food with thicker texture pasta. Unsweetened, unsalted, free from artificial ingredients and specially made for babies from eight months old and upwards.

Mexico The Nest Collective Plum Organics Tots Fruity Fingerfuls Organic Freeze-Dried Fruit & Grain Bites

New and improved, and available in a Fresa (Strawberry) flavor. These gluten-free snacks have been made using real fruit and wholegrains and no high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial flavors and preservatives or genetically modified ingredients. They come in bite-sized pieces, which eas-ily melt in little mouths and are perfect for little fingers.




Netherlands SHS International SHS Carbohydrate-Free Mixture A powder-form supplement made from cow’s milk protein, fat, vitamins, mineral traces and a trace of carbohydrates. A diet treatment for babies diagnosed with disturbances in the carbohydrate metabolism, such as glucose-galactose intolerance. Only for use with medical supervision and is not suitable as a sole source of food.

Netherlands Organix Organix Goodies Apple Fruit Sticks Made with 100% organic fruit and contain no added sugar, added colours, flavours, preservatives or gluten. Pack contains five 15g sticks. Also available is a Banana variety, which is made with 100% dates and bananas.

New Zealand Fonterra Brands Fresh ‘n Fruity My First Probiotic Yogurt with Soft Fruit Pieces

Contains three flavours: apple, mango and peach, and is made with 100% natural ingredients, no added sugar and the natural probiotic Bifidus Immuni. Made with whole milk and contains no preservatives, gluten or gelatine. Features a spoon-hugging texture which leads to less spill and mess.

Norway Semper Semper Småfolk Jungle Smoothie An organic smoothie consisting of apple, banana, mango and passion fruit flavours. Free from flavourings, preservatives and added sugar.

Norway Ella’s Kitchen (Brands) Limited Ella’s Kitchen Banana Purée An organic mix of banana purée, yogurt and wholemeal rice for children from 10 months.

South Korea Ildong Foodis Ildong Foodis Baby Milk with Added Colostrum

A premium low-heat pasteurized milk which is processed using a DT method. Helps to maintain a healthy brain, growth and development, strengthen the immune system and promotes digestion and absorption. It contains added New Zealand colostrum protein, 25 nutritious and func-tional ingredients, three major nutrients, and premium low-heated pasteur-ized colostrum.

South Korea Seoul Milk Seoul Milk Cheese Organic Infant Step 2 Baby Cheese

More than 95% organic ingredients. This premium product contains cal-cium, colostrum, omega-3 fatty acid, vitamin and the lowest sodium level in the country.

Spain Hero Hero Baby Merienda Custard with Cookies

Rich in calcium and free from preservatives and colourants. Pack contains two 130g on-the-go recyclable packs.

Sweden Semper Semper Eco Fruit Puree Organic certified fruit puree in a duo pack containing the following fla-vours: apple & raspberry, and apple & blackcurrant.

UK Plum Baby Plum Sweet Cape Curry with Beef & Green Lentils

A wholesome meal of organic vegetables, mango, beef and green lentils with cumin and mild curry spices. No preservatives, artificial additives, salt, sugar, bulking agents, GM ingredients, gluten, egg or dairy.

UK Ella’s Kitchen (Brands) Limited Ella’s Kitchen Organic Toddler Food Cottage Pie

A blend of organic beef, mashed potatoes, vegetable stock, onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, peas and a pinch of cinnamon. With lumps and soft chunks to give new teeth a proper workout. No added sugar, salt, concentrates, juices, additives, thickeners, E numbers, GM ingredients, dairy or anything artificial.

BEVERAGES

Japan Glico Dairy Products Glico 100% Vegetable & Fruit Juice The kid’s vegetable and fruit juice has been reformulated. It is now made with 12 vegetables and fruits. It is packaged in a small 100ml carton, said to be perfect for small children and crush-proof to prevent spillage. It is also said to be perfect for babies.

Venezuela Abbott Laboratories Abbott PediaSure Vanilla Flavoured Nutrition Shake

A complete and balanced liquid nutrition, based on proteins, fats, carbohy-drates, vitamins and minerals. This drink is specially developed to support growth, is free from lactose, easy to digest and ready to drink.

BREAKFAST CEREALS

Vietnam Tâm Khánh Ngoc Tam Khanh Ngoc Oatmeal Made with oat germ, which is rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Vietnam Tip Top Manufacture Trading Company Limited

Best Choice Instant Nutritious Cereal

Features a vanilla flavor and is enriched with fiber, vitamin A, vitamin D and calcium, which is important for bone development.

DAIRY

Australia Parmalat Pauls Yogurt with Real Fruit Relaunched and now contains less than 9g of sugar per serving and 18% RDI per cup. It is a smooth yogurt with real fruit purée and is free from gluten, preservatives, artificial colours and flavours. It is a vital source of calcium and contains acidophilus, the yogurt culture that helps to maintain the correct balance of bacteria in a child’s digestive system.

China Danone Danone Da Gao Le Strawberry Flavoured Drinking Yogurt

Contains doubled milk calcium, protein and vitamin D to strengthen the bones. This drinking yogurt is made with fresh milk and is free from added artificial colours, thickeners and preservatives. It is added with milk mineral salts.

Singapore Muller Dairy Müller Little Stars Fromage Frais Retails in a pack comprising 6 x 50g tubs of the following varieties: 2 x strawberry, 2 raspberry, and 2 x peach. The product is made with only seven ingredients that are 100% naturally sourced, and is said to be ideal for weaning and onwards. Contains whole milk dairy calcium.

SNACKS

Australia Food For Health Life Food Food For Health Life Food Food for Kids Apple Filled Snack Bars

A good source of fibre that is school canteen approved and Australian owned and made. This gluten-, nut- and sulphur-free product retails in a 168g recycled pack containing 6 apple filled snack bars.

Singapore Organix Brands Organix Goodies Organic Californian Raisins

100% organic, and are said to make a delicious snack at home, in a lunch box or on the go. The product counts towards one of the recommended five a day portions of fruit for children. According to the manufacturer, the raisins are grown on the grape vines in California and dried naturally. They contain no unnecessary artificial ingredients, additives, gluten or sugar.

july-september 2011 volume 6 number 10 … spins weighted measure ... “have to be cognizant of...

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