Recent years has seen a boom in the demand for organic products as consumers become more aware and knowledgeable about nutrition, farming methods and its impact on the environment. One product, in particular, that has seen a huge surge in demand is organically sourced formula milk.

In response, one of the world’s leading and largest dairy cooperatives and experts, FrieslandCampina, is launching a new ultra-premium organic milk formula Organic FRISO PRESTIGE® BIO, and it has chosen Hong Kong to be the first market to launch the product.

Indeed, the growing demand for organically sourced formula milk products is not unique to Hong Kong. According to Innova, in 2019 alone, more than 5,000 organic Baby & Toddler products were launched globally representing a growth of 200 per cent compared to 2015. Organic milk formula was shown to lead the charge reflecting a growing interest amongst parents for organically sourced formula milk.

Added to this, according to FMCG Gurus, 20 per cent of people globally are looking for an organic statement when buying a product, and 36 per cent of them said that this would influence their purchasing behaviour. And of all the food categories, the Baby & Toddler category has shown the strongest growth in organic products launched over the past year.

CREATING AN ORGANIC PRODUCT

As such, FrieslandCampina decided to capitalise on its almost 150-year Dutch dairy heritage and expertise to create an organic product that not only gives parents peace of mind, but also ensures a good living for its farmers, while creating a sustainable natural environment for now and generations to come.

Mr. Berndt Kodden, President FrieslandCampina Specialised Nutrition said, “Organic solutions are crucial, but it is never easy to develop organic products and meet the stringent requirements of our unique from grass to glass process. Massive efforts have been contributed to ensure that our dairy farms and production plants are organically certified.”

When it comes to organic, the company isn’t just paying its customers lip service, empowered by its unique control from grass to glass, FrieslandCampina ensures that only the highest quality and best safety standards are applied throughout the entire global supply chain, from its own organic dairy farms right through to consumer distribution. And better yet, consumers are invited to be a part of this process through technology.

“As well as putting extra emphasis on the scientific benefits of our products in maintaining good immune system, we also focus on our innovative TrackEasy# to address consumers’ concerns on food safety and traceability,” Ms. Helena He, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina (Hong Kong) Limited said.

SMART PACKAGING

In a first of its kind, FRISO® TrackEasy# is a smart packaging that enables consumers to access and trace the complete product journey of Organic FRISO PRESTIGE® BIO from milk collection at its own organic farms in the Netherlands, right through to packaging, final quality checks, export permissions and all the way to the date of arrival, giving consumers great transparency and peace of mind regarding its products.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING

As a premier dairy farming company, FrieslandCampina prides itself on its organic farming practices.

“For generations, my family has been committed to working closely with nature,” said Mr. Pier Swierstra, the 4th generation member farmer of FrieslandCampina. “We practise organic farming so that we pass on only the best things to the next generation. We work hard every day to maintain a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem to nurture strong and healthy cows that produce natural and nutritious organic milk.”

Indeed, the family’s dairy cows enjoy a minimum living area of six square metres per head and permanent access to open air grazing areas if weather condition allows. Dairy cows are also given 100 per cent organic feed. Any preventive use of antibiotics, hormones, mineral nitrogen fertilisers or growth enhancers are therefore strictly prohibited thereby adhering to the EU organic certification standards. All these organic farms also choose to comply with Aanvullende Normen, additional stringent requirements initiated by Dutch organic dairy farmers themselves to guarantee the high standard for ecological dairy farming with an extra focus on animal welfare, use of medicines, outdoor grazing and biodiversity.

“This has contributed to a healthy ecosystem with rich biodiversity at FrieslandCampina’s organic dairy farms, enabling to achieve around 50 varieties of living things△,” Dr. Marchel Gorselink, Director Development FrieslandCampina Specialised Nutrition said.

GOING ONLINE

While the brand has been working hard to sustainably develop an organic product that can meet rising consumer demand, it has also been mindful to respond to the way parents now shop. According to research company Nielsen, over 50 per cent of the people interviewed would shop online more frequently now compared to six to nine months before the pandemic started. As such, aside from the FRISO® Easyorder e-shop, the brand has also rolled out dedicated online promotions with major e-commerce platforms, while actively bringing the conversations online.

“We are the first milk formula brand in Hong Kong to leverage chatbot technology in conducting pre-natal classes and digitalising our engagement with healthcare practitioners,” Ms. He said.

Appropriate intake of growing-up formula can be part of a balanced diet.

Breastfeeding provides the best nutrition for healthy growth and development of babies.

#Trace every step of FRISO® products in the process from milk collection in own farms in the Netherlands, through packaging, final quality checks, export permissions and all the way to the date of arrival.

△Refer to the living species commonly seen in the Netherlands.