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South-East Asia: From Functional Soya Drinks to
Organic?
Soya
drinks are increasingly marketed as functional drinks in Asia as
manufacturers target health-conscious consumers.
Soya drinks are mainly consumed as soft drinks in
South-East Asia.
They are widely available in retailers and foodservice establishments in
countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The launch of soya
drinks with functional ingredients is expanding the market by attracting
consumers who are seeking healthy & nutritious beverages.
New product launches in
Singapore
in recent months include soya milk with wheatgrass and soya milk with
organic brown rice. The chilled soya drinks are specifically targeted at
health-conscious consumers. Wheatgrass is high in vitamins & minerals
and has a number of associated health benefits, whilst organic brown
rice also gives the soya drink a natural and healthy image.
Green tea is also being used to give soya drinks a functional dimension.
Following the lead of Nutrisoy in
Singapore,
Lactasoy launched the first soya milk with green tea in the Thai market
earlier this year. Green tea, consumed by the Chinese for 4,000 years,
is widely popular with Asian consumers because of its range of health
benefits.
Functional soya drinks are not new in the Asian market however. Ace
Canning and Nestlé have been marketing soya milk with omega acids for a
couple of years. Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids have been scientifically proven
to lower cholesterol. European manufacturers are following with the
launch of soya drinks fortified with omega acids.
As functional soya drinks become established in Asian countries, the
organic arena could become the next battleground for manufacturers.
Outside northern Asia, just one Asian company currently produces organic
soya drinks, however more are likely to follow suite as consumer
awareness of organic production methods rises. Asian consumers perceive
organic products to be more nutritious and healthier than non-organic
products.
Identifying the growth opportunities in this emerging market, a
Malaysian organic food company has started to import organic soya
ice-cream from Scandinavia. Country Farm, a subsidiary of the Berjaya
Group, is currently selling the fresh ice-cream in its retailers and it
has plans to expand distribution in the region. If successful, the move
is likely to fast-track the entry of soya drink manufacturers in the
organic arena.
To learn more about our research capabilities in the Asian soya products
industry, please
email us
Related Report:
#5201-50 The
South-East Asian Market for Non-Dairy Drinks
Posted: August 25th 2005
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