Tailoring nutrition for APAC consumers

 

(Photo copyright: Ann Rodchua I Dreamstime.com)

 

 

As Asia Pacific’s health and nutrition market diverges between premium, claim-driven innovation and cost-sensitive mainstream formats, ingredient suppliers are adapting their products to personalized consumer needs. FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ strategy reflects the shift in both consumption and product demand.

 

According to Vicky Davies, Global Marketing Director for Performance, Active & Medical Nutrition at FrieslandCampina Ingredients, the market is now being shaped by macro trends like AI, personalization, and rising health awareness, alongside micro shifts in formats and consumer behavior.

 

“We look at the outside to explore the trends,” she said. “How do we translate that into regional plans and localized strategies so that we can meet the needs of the customers and the consumers in all the different countries where we are present?”

 

Davies’ role spans global strategy and regional execution. She noted that the performance and active nutrition segment is growing at 8% to 10% annually, driven by consumer curiosity around formats like high-protein yogurts, clear waters, and supplements.

 

For instance, younger consumers in Indonesia and Vietnam show rising interest in performance and active nutrition. But economic constraints mean affordability remains a key driver.

 

Indonesia is a key market for early life nutrition in Southeast Asia, added Tjalling Bekker, Regional Director APAC at FrieslandCampina Ingredients. Yet, premium infant formula is under pressure, he said.

 

The company therefore creates ingredient solutions for cost-effective applications and partners with mainstream food and beverage companies to develop kid-friendly ready-to-drink and fortified dairy formats. Halal and kosher ingredient availability further reinforces its commitment to regional relevance.

 

“We support our customers in developing economic and mainstream formulas,” Bekker said. “And we’re also working with regular food and beverage producers, not just early life nutrition specialists, to develop products focused on children.”

 

In Australia and New Zealand, consumption patterns resemble those of Europe and North America. Performance and active nutrition are well-established categories, and the market is growing steadily. Many companies based in ANZ produce for export across APAC, supported by advanced capabilities. Meanwhile as birth rates decline in China, ANZ producers exporting to this market have shifted focus on premium products and ingredients.

 

In India, the early life nutrition segment is significant due to its massive population and high birth rates. But Bekker cautioned that India is almost a continent on its own. Its scale and complexity require a focused, selective approach.

 

Japan and Korea stand out for their aging populations and advanced health awareness. Healthy aging is a major trend, with consumers seeking functional products that go beyond pharmaceuticals. These markets also lead in format innovation—jellied pouches, effervescent powders, and fast melts. Texture and taste preferences are highly specific.

 

“The texture you find in those pouches in Japan—you can’t compare it to any other country,” Bekker said. “You have to develop a texture that does justice to local preferences.”

 

While volume growth may be slowing, value growth, driven by premiumization and claim-based differentiation, is strong in the APAC, Bekker said. In response, FrieslandCampina Ingredients is expanding its marketing team, hiring specialists for early life, performance, and medical nutrition to track trends and shape product formats.

 

 

 

FrieslandCampina Ingredients's Regional Director APAC, Tjalling Bekker, and Global Marketing Director for Performance, Active & Medical Nutrition, Vicky Davies,  in Fi Asia 2025, Bangkok (Photo: Ringier)

 

 

Holistic health for all life stages

With brands like Biotis® and Step Up Nutrition platform, FrieslandCampina Ingredients merges science, format innovation, and market relevance.

 

The Biotis® portfolio targets gut, immune, and mental health with ingredients like GOS and Lactoferrin backed by clinical studies. Biotis® GOS is the most researched galacto-oligosaccharide in the world, with proven benefits for microbiota and mental well-being.

 

“It’s a prebiotic feeding the microbiota,” Davies said. “And with our studies, we’ve shown it helps with mental well-being and anxiety.”

 

Biotis® Lactoferrin supports immunity and skin health, with particular relevance to women’s health. “It’s a bioactive protein that can be added to supplements, especially for women who are more often iron deficient as they get older.”

 

Fermentis, a novel ingredient combining whey protein and GOS, is designed for athletes and is backed by clinical studies. “It is the first innovation in sports nutrition in a couple of decades, and we won an award for it last year.”

 

The company’s Step Up Nutrition platform targets children aged 3 to 12, turning science into formats like RTDs, yogurts, and powders. Vivinal® GOS, DHA, and Omega-3s support developmental health, while GOS and Lactoferrin also address iron and calcium absorption, critical for aging women.

 

According to Davies, women’s health is gaining attention due to increased awareness of gender-specific nutritional needs. GOS contributes to improved iron and calcium absorption, which becomes increasingly relevant for women’s health later in life, she said.

 

“These trends are something we look at in our product development, and we make sure our ingredients are backed by research that reflects those differences.”

 

 

Yogurt remains one of the most beloved ways to enjoy nutrition among the young and old (Photo: Creative Commons Zeo I Dreamstime)

 

 

Collaboration as a competitive advantage

Across all these markets, collaboration is central to FrieslandCampina Campina’s development strategy. Bekker emphasized the importance of co-supplier relationships, especially as ingredient applications become more complex and culturally specific.

 

In fact the launch of the company’s application center in Singapore early September enables faster co-development with customers, local institutions, and health agencies.  The company has launched internship programs with universities, signed an MOU with the Health Promotion Board, and partnered with ActiveSG on child health initiatives.

 

“We advise our customers on how to use our ingredients in a way that answers the needs from the consumer—and that we can only do from the region itself,” Bekker said.

 

For instance, texture, taste, and delivery can differ from country to country. Format innovation is also key.

 

“Taste can make or break the product. Even if the ingredient is perfect, if the format doesn’t resonate locally, you lose interest. That’s why we need to be close to our customers—to co-create, not just supply,” he said.

 

“Asia Pacific is far ahead in modern and playful formats,” Davies added. “Gummy sticks, fast melts—these are exciting trends, and our new application lab will help showcase them.”

 

Sustainability as a shared value

FrieslandCampina, FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ parent company, is proud to be one of the pioneers in sustainable dairy farming. Emissions reduction starts with feed composition, which directly influences methane output. From there, farmers invest in filtration systems and manure treatment to further reduce environmental impact. Soil health and wildlife-friendly farming practices—flowers, grasses, and bushes replenish nutrients and support ecosystems.

 

“You can’t reduce this to zero… but you can change what is emitted, filter the rest, and treat manure into reusable products,” Bekker said.

 

Sustainability efforts are not just about reducing emissions—they’re about helping customers meet their own environmental goals. Over the past three to four years, this has become increasingly evident, as more brands approach the company to source ingredients that support their corporate sustainability targets.

 

“We don’t do this just for the sake of reduction. Our customers have ambitious goals, and by sourcing from us, they’re able to make real progress toward those targets.”

 

This shift has turned sustainability into a viable business model. As a farmer-owned cooperative, FrieslandCampina reinvests returns into new initiatives at the farm level—creating a self-sustaining cycle where environmental improvements are financed by commercial success.

 

“It only works if farmers see the benefit,” Bekker added. “That’s why we pay back what we earn, so they can invest in new practices. It becomes a self-accelerating system.”

 

While emissions remain a core focus, the company is also expanding its view to the broader farm environment—soil health, biodiversity, and regenerative agriculture. Bekker emphasized that farms operate within landscapes, and sustainability must account for that complexity.

 

“Our ambition is to restore balance—to give back more to the soil than we take,” he said. “But that’s not easy. You need to be able to measure it.”

 

To that end, FrieslandCampina is developing a scientifically validated methodology in partnership with co-suppliers and farms. Twenty-five pilot farms are currently testing regenerative practices, with promising early results.

 

“If successful, this won’t just be a pilot—it will become a fully integrated part of how we operate,” Bekker said. “And the good news is, it’s no longer just our belief. We’re now able to valorize it—both at the customer level and on the farm.”