Morinaga Nutritional Foods Vietnam (MNFV), formerly known as Elovi, was officially launched on March 25.
The company is a subsidiary of Japan’s Morinaga Milk Group, which entered the Vietnam market in 2021. It was also in the same year that the company acquired Elovi, a domestic Vietnamese company that primarily produces beverages, juices, yogurt, and dairy products.
talk NutraIngredients-Asia,Naoto Uechi, vice president and executive officer (corporate division) of MNFV, said the rebranded company will strengthen its lineup of nutritious and healthy foods.
Among these, nutrition for children and the elderly will be an area of interest as these are in particularly high demand in Vietnam compared to other Southeast Asian countries.
Explaining that this trend is unique to Vietnam, he said: “Vietnam has a relatively large market for energy drinks, supplements, and yogurt compared to neighboring ASEAN countries.
“We understand that our customers have a high spending appetite for healthy nutrition. We also see a high need for health products for children and parents… this is something very unique about Vietnam.”
In particular, we will continue to develop products that meet the health needs of various age groups.
Uechi added that counterfeit and adulterated goods are rampant in the Vietnamese market, so Vietnamese consumers will be more willing to buy if products are safe and trustworthy.
While he acknowledged that MNFV is still a “very new” and small-scale player in Vietnam, a country dominated by a handful of local and multinational companies, he believes there are unique advantages MNFV could bring to the market: the ability to produce functional materials manufactured by its Japanese parent company.
These ingredients include postbiotic, heat-sterilized Laticaceibacillus paracasei MCC1849 strain is sold as LAC-Shield and lactoferrin.
Watch the video below to hear more from Mr. Uechi.
Fat-free, immune-boosting product
Additionally, MNFV will also look to develop more nutritious and functional products with less fat and sugar.
Uechi explained that this is due to the rise in diabetes and obesity in Vietnam.
Research published in inquiryLast year’s report said the prevalence of overweight among Vietnamese children under the age of five increased from 5.6 percent in 2010 to 7.4 percent in 2019.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years also increased between 2010 and 2019, from 8.5% to 19% and from 2.5% to 8.1%, respectively.
That’s why the company launched its Immune Support and Nonfat Yogurt in Vietnam in 2022. The product contains 10 billion LAC Shields, which have been shown to significantly reduce the number of days with stuffy nose and sore throat in 24 weeks in clinical trials.
“Our mission is to contribute to the health of the people of Vietnam by leveraging the technology we have cultivated in Japan for over 100 years to provide nutritious and delicious products.”Mr. Uechi says.
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Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
In Japan, Rack Shield is used in over 1,000 products by approximately 500 companies.
In addition to manufacturing functional foods locally in Vietnam, Morinaga Milk’s health supplements sold in Japan will also be imported and sold in Vietnam.
