The sugar-free range of vitamins and supplements are aimed at children aged between two and 12 year olds, and come in a range of flavours, said Swisse. The chewable, tooth-friendly formulations will be launched as a collection of five products including: multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin C plus zinc, calcium plus vitamin D3, and a probiotic.
“We have really taken our time to ensure our first complete children’s range will meet the health needs of children,” said Antoinette-Louise Barnardo, head of technical innovation at Swisse – adding that the company aimed to produce a range that are ‘not full of sugar’ or other additives that children’s vitamins are known to typically incorporate for taste.
“We looked at the gaps/needs in the marketplace and felt that we could further support families to address health needs in children,” Barnardo told NutraIngredients-Asia. “We have seen a strong opportunity to drive out products that have the highest level of permitted micronutrients (compared to competitor products on shelf) and products that are free from sugar, artificial colours and flavours to address specific health concerns/needs/requirements.”
The Swisse technical innovation guru also noted that research carried out by the company suggested that 70% of parents don’t know the recommended daily nutrition guidelines and that sugar is the number one dietary concern of parents, with 45% of parents 'extremely' or 'very' concerned about the amount of sugar in children’s diet and a further one-third (32%) ‘moderately’ concerned.
Swisse added that the range uses only natural flavours, is free from gluten and peanuts, and has no added lactose, yeast or egg – all of which make the range suitable for families and children with special dietary needs.
Barnardo told us that while the products have only just launched, the firm has already seen strong uptake and demand. He also revealed that while the range is only available in Australia currently, Swisse plans launches in New Zealand and China in August this year.