Dynamic Maternal Nutrition Market in Asia 2019

Covers What You should Know About this Fast-Growing Emerging Market and How Dairy Companies can Capitalise on Its Growth

It is not very often that we see a new market for dairy ingredients emerge. This has probably not happened since the development of sports nutrition in the 1990s, when body builders virtually created the market for whey and dairy protein-based supplements - a market which is now mainstream, fuelling demand for large volumes and a wide variety of high-value ingredients.

Well, a new ‘star’ is born: the market for dairy-based maternal nutrition supplements. And it is growing fast in Asia.

Why?

• The concept of the ‘first 1,000 days’ - the critical period for a child’s brain and body development, when good nutrition is particularly important - is gaining recognition. Mothers want the best for their baby and it is never too early to ensure optimal growth. Maternal nutrition is now in the spotlight.
• Because extensive scientific evidence now substantiates the benefits of dairy nutrients and ingredients during pregnancy and breastfeeding. There is a need for supplementation in parts of Asia, where milk and dairy consumption is low among mothers.
• As incomes increase in the emerging economies of Asia (China and SE Asia in particular), women have fewer children and households can spend more on child and mothers’ care and nutrition.
• Because governments and policy makers recognise the economic burden of malnutrition and stunting, with its long-term impact on GDP and health care costs. They now promote policies and programmes to encourage better nutrition during the precious first 1,000 days window.

Government policies rightly encourage breastfeeding. While this might impact demand for infant formula, it also means families will focus more on mothers’ nutrition, not only during their 9 months of pregnancy, but also during the period when they breastfeed their child.

What makes this a perfect storm? It is not just demand. On the supply side of the equation, infant formula companies are increasingly restricted in their ability to market and promote their products and brands. However, promoting better nutrition to mothers is largely unregulated. Companies can position their product to mothers as ‘Stage 0’, building brand recognition and loyalty. Faced with potential constraints on the growth of infant formula sales (regulations, marketing, increasing breastfeeding rates), suppliers are seizing this new opportunity.

Based on the latest 2017 WHO data, the publisher estimates there were over 50 million pregnant mothers in the parts of Asia studied in the report. Considering factors such as affordability and access, it is projected that at least 13 million households constitute this new market which, according to some industry sources, is growing at 20% a year.