Brand new: Youvit, Morinaga Milk, Jung Kwan Jang in our latest round-up

Affordable, preventive nutrition gains ground in Asia, kids supplements key to capturing market share – Youvit​ 

Affordable preventive nutrition is a growing trend in Asia, with the kids' supplement category serving as a strategic entry point to win over entire households, says Indonesia-based supplements brand Youvit.

This is based on in-person interviews conducted with 800 households in Indonesia, which found that the multivitamins market is dominated by kids at 87 per cent.

The firm explained a three-pronged approach: Enter the kids-dominated supplements sector, convert household members to users from there, and build brand loyalty from a young age.

Morinaga Milk tackles Japan’s healthy ageing needs with functional food innovation​

Morinaga Milk Industry has launched a series of functional foods across yogurt, sachet powder, milk formula, and fermented drinks to support the nutritional needs of Japan’s rapidly ageing population.

One of its latest launches is the fermented drink marketed under the name Puresu. This is a fermented drink containing the company’s flagship human-residential Bifidobacterium ​probiotic strain Bifidobacteria longum ​BB 536.

It comes with three functional claims, namely reducing fatigue, reducing belly fat, and improving intestinal environment.

Malaysia botanical extract supplement marks entry into South Korea via exclusive deal​

Malaysia’s Medika Natura, which specialises in health supplements made using local botanical extracts, is expecting to sell its products in South Korea next July through an exclusive partnership with NS Home Shopping.

The partnership will see the distribution of Medika Natura’s metabolic health supplement Labeesity in South Korea via TV shopping next July, CEO Abdul Razak Mohd Isa told NutraIngredients-Asia. ​

Labeesity is made of Medika Natura’s patented Labisia pumila ​standardised extract marketed as SKF7, which is clinically shown​ to significantly reduce waist circumference.

ASEAN advancement: Jung Kwan Jang focuses on accelerating functional product growth in Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam​  

South Korea’s health functional food brand Jung Kwan Jang recently launched its flagship ginseng products in major health and beauty stores in Malaysia, which has been identified as one of the firm’s key markets in ASEAN.

It officially launched its flagship products, namely Korean Red Ginseng Extract Everytime, and health beverages Hong Sam Won (Korean Red Ginseng Drink) and Good Base (Pomegranate), in Guardian and Watsons across Malaysia.

The Korea Ginseng Corporation (KGC)-owned brand aims to accelerate growth in the region, with a focus on Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Unlocking beauty from within: Key to good skin and hair lies in the gut - JSHealth Vitamins​

The founder of Australia-based JSHealth Vitamins, which is expanding across Asia, says beauty-from-within success has to start by targeting the gut, and predicts that microbiome-focused innovations will continue to grow in popularity.

Speaking from her experience working as a nutritionist, Jessica Sepel said at our Growth Asia Summit 2024 that targeting gut health with appropriate doses of the right nutrients was key for skin health.

She explained that this was because conditions such as acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema could have resulted from a disruption in the microbiome, leading to an immune-modulated inflammatory response.