As part of its efforts to make good nutrition affordable and accessible to those who need it most, Nestlé is introducing Bear Brand Milk N’ Soy, a powdered milk and soy drink for school-age children, in the Philippines.
Nearly three billion people globally cannot afford a healthy diet 1, and many do not have access to good nutrition. Because school-age children are in a phase of significant growth and mental development, they need a healthy, well-balanced diet that includes proteins, vitamins and minerals from sources such as grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy. In the Philippines, undernutrition in school-age children remains a significant public health issue. Nestlé aims to help tackle the problem with Bear Brand Milk N’ Soy, which combines the goodness of milk with the affordability of high-quality plant proteins, such as those from soy.
“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,” said Serena Aboutboul, Head of the Nutrition Strategic Business Unit. “This great-tasting new drink further expands the trusted Bear Brand range in the Philippines, which already delivers millions of servings of micronutrient-fortified milk drinks to children each day. We believe that there is significant growth potential in expanding the benefits of Bear Brand to older children in their school-going years.”
Milk is an important source of nutrients like protein, calcium and vitamins, while soy provides high-quality protein with essential amino acids, healthy fats, fibers and other nutrients.
Isabelle Bureau-Franz, Head of Nestlé R&D for Nutrition, explained, “Soy proteins are not as soluble as dairy proteins and present a beany flavor and gritty texture when combined with milk. However, our innovative enzyme-based technology enables us to seamlessly blend both dairy and plant proteins, resulting in nutritious and affordable beverages with an excellent taste and a smooth, creamy texture.”
Similar products for school-age children have already been rolled out in Nigeria under the Nido brand and are now being expanded across Asia, other parts of Africa and Latin America.
Haldiram’s Delhi and Nagpur factions complete merger of FMCG business
NEW DELHI: (Apr 8) The process of merging Haldiram’s Nagpur and Delhi branches to form Haldiram Snacks Food Private Ltd has been completed, informed its CEO Krishan Kumar Chutani on the social media platform LinkedIn.
“A new chapter begins in the Haldiram story, and it’s a significant one,” Chutani posted on LinkedIn.
The FMCG businesses of Haldiram Snacks Private Ltd (Delhi) and Haldiram Foods International Pvt Ltd (Nagpur) have come together as one — Haldiram Snacks Food Private Ltd (HSFPL).
“This isn’t just a merger. It’s a fresh start, a meaningful coming together of legacy, passion, and a shared vision for the future. Where timeless flavours meet bold ideas, and the journey only gets more exciting from here,” said Chutani.
The merger has already received regulatory clearances from fair trade regulator CCI and respective benches of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in 2023.
In HSFPL, the Delhi unit holds 56 per cent stake and rest 44 per cent is owned by the Nagpur branch.
The development comes a week after India’s largest packed snack and sweets company and restaurant operator announced partnering of three strategic investors — Singapore-headquartered global investment firm Temasek, Alpha Wave Global and International Holding Company (IHC).
The details of the deal was not disclosed, but industry insiders said it was done at a valuation of USD 10 billion (around Rs 85,000 crore), which is considered to be the largest for the Indian packed food industry.
The deal will also help Haldiram’s to expand its presence in the international markets , specially in the US and the Middle East, which has a large number of Indian diaspora.
“We are taking meaningful steps toward something bigger. From Indian kitchens to global shelves, we are expanding our reach while staying true to everything that makes Haldiram’s special,” said Chutani.
Merger of FMCG business, which includes packed food business, will have a larger scale and possibilities and opens up new paths to grow, collaborate, and lead.
Established in 1937 as a retail sweets and namkeen shop in Bikaner, Rajasthan by Ganga Bhishen Agarwal, Haldiram’s products are now sold in over 80 countries.
In 2022, it was announced that the packaged snacks businesses of Delhi-based Haldiram Snacks and Nagpur-based Haldiram Foods International would be first demerged and then merged into an entity named Haldiram Snacks Food.
