Bear Brand Milk N’Soy complements the brand’s Fortified Powdered Milk Drink range for children over 3 years of age and has ‘significant growth potential’ in the region, according to Nestlé.
The new powdered milk product combines dairy and plant-based proteins, specifically soy, which have been blended with a proprietary enzyme to address texture and flavor requirements.
Nestlé has already used this approach to launch a similar, Nido-branded range of instant powder in Central and West Africa.
Combining milk and plant proteins means the product is packed with nutrients found in both dairy and plants, such as protein, calcium, vitamins and fiber.
The formulation also has sustainability benefits as soy is less environmentally-intensive to produce compared to dairy, the company says.
Bear Brand Milk N’Soy packs protein, calcium, magnesium and vitamin D and is available in both flavored and plain versions.
Undernutrition: A public health issue
Terms such as ‘malnutrition’ and ‘undernutrition’ are often used interchangeably, but there’s a difference.
‘Malnutrition’ is an umbrella term that encompasses both overnutrition (referring to the excessive intake of particular nutrients, which creates an unhealthy imbalance) and undernutrition (the lack of specific nutrients in one’s diet).
Undernourishment remains a global health issue. According to a 2022 study by the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the prevalence of undernourishment jumped from 8% to 9.3% from 2019 to 2020 and rose again to 9.8% in 2021. Between 702 and 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021.
In the Philippines, the prevalence of stunting among children under five is 28.8%, higher than the Asian regional average of 21.8%, according to Global Nutrition Report. Meanwhile, the rate of overweight and obesity among school-aged children (5–19 years old) is on the increase, according to the data.
Deaths linked to protein-energy malnutrition - an energy deficit due to deficiency of macronutrients - have more than doubled between 2011 and 2021, shooting up from 2,391 to 6,059.
World Bank Group estimates that in 2015 alone, childhood undernutrition cost the Philippines $4.4bn (1.5% of its GDP).
The issue is greater for infants and younger children: World Bank Group data shows that micronutrient undernutrition affects 38% of infants 6-11 months old and 26% of children 12–23 months.
In addition, nearly 17% of children aged 6–59 months suffered from vitamin A deficiency in 2018, of which children aged 12–24 months had the highest prevalence (22%) followed by children aged six to 12 months (18%), the financial institution estimates.
Serena Aboutboul, Head of the Nutrition Strategic Business Unit at Nestlé, says the company’s latest product is formulated to address the issue head-on. “We have created Bear Brand Milk N’ Soy to meet the specific nutritional requirements and taste preferences of school-age children and have made it affordable for Filipino households," she said adding that the company thinks that ‘that there is significant growth potential in expanding the benefits of Bear Brand to older children in their school-going years’.
