Nurture to expand its Digestion + probiotic drink range as it set sights on South East Asia

23-Jan-2024 - Last updated on 23-Jan-2024 at 02:24 GMT

Digestion + Immunity, Digestion + Energy and Digestion + Focus powdered probiotic drinks by Nurture © Nurture

Fonterra brand Nurture plans to expand its powdered probiotic drink range to target stress-relief and skin health this year.

The brand is simultaneously introducing the range offline in Singapore and exploring potential markets in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

All these are part of Fonterra’s strategic move into the wellness sector and positioning South East Asia as its regional hub. Nurture introduced a series of products, including Digestion + Immunity last April followed by Digestion + Energy and Digestion + Focus in November.

These powdered probiotic drinks specifically target busy, active working professionals who are conscious of the impact diets have on their bodies and seek better support for gut health and overall wellbeing.

Its inspiration stems from over 100 face-to-face interviews with individuals in Singapore and New Zealand. They revealed challenges including fatigue, tiredness, and inability to focus that directly impact one’s overall productivity and wellness.

The range was designed to have dual functions, with Fonterra’s clinical researched NZ HN019TM + HN001 TM probiotic strains to promote gut health. Additionally, it incorporates ingredients such as vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, and zinc to enhance cognitive functions.

Each sachet is packed with 50 billion probiotic strains at the point of manufacturing and is free from added sugar. Its flavours, mainly orange, kiwi, strawberry and a blend of other berries are a nod to the New Zealand heritage.

“I believe this is what differentiates us. What we have done is leverage Fonterra’s expertise in probiotics to support gut health on the inside, so you can enjoy life on the outside. That’s the nutshell of Nurture,” Swapnil Karnik, New Ventures Manager of Nurture shares with NutraIngredients Asia.

Starting from Singapore but not limited to Southeast Asia

Digestion + Immunity, Digestion + Energy and Digestion + Focus are available via e-commerce platforms and Nurture’s official site at the price of SGD$22.20 for a box of 12 sachets.

According to Karnik, product survey involving 120 participants found that three out of four people (around 76%) “feel different” to their gut health after consuming the powdered probiotic drinks for a consecutive 14 days. Given the positive feedback, Nurture is planning to take the range offline next.

“We haven't decided exactly the offline stores yet but we're working through with our distribution partners and our Singapore teams to figure out the next best move. One of the challenges is that there’s so much information and differing views about probiotics out there.”

“We don’t want to tell people all the science, but we want them to understand our ingredients and how our products can benefit them. We are doing so through creating bite size summaries that are educational and easy to digest on our social media channels.”

Ultimately, as Karnik emphasises, Nurture wishes to build a community by pulling all the likeminded individuals together.

“We want to be the most recommended wellness brand. I am not going to put countries on it. Because although we start with Singapore, we want to expand across Southeast Asia and beyond.”

“After all, about 40% of people worldwide face gut health issues. There is also an increasing awareness around ‘you are what you eat’. Gut is like the central engine room of our body and Nurture wants to help people revitalise their gut and get it performing at its best, so they can live that great life they want to.”