UK – French multinational dairy company, Danone has launched Aptamil infant formula milk in a pre-measured tab format to make preparing formula milk more convenient.
The new formula milk tabs- developed in partnership with Japanese food manufacturer Meiji- are said to dissolve easily, and allow for more accurate measurement.
This results in less wasted formula and less mess; making them particularly useful for night-time feeds.
According to Danone, the new format will be available in packs of 24 sachets, with each sachet containing five tabs. One tab is equal to one standard scoop of powdered formula, the French dairy firm explains.
“We hope bringing to market formula milk in a pre-measured tab format will offer added convenience and support for formula feeding parents – especially in the ‘new normal’, when parents are often stretched and trying to juggle balancing family and work-life from home,” said Gustavo Hildenbrand, general manager UK & Ireland, Danone Specialized Nutrition.
Under the terms of the companies’ partnership, Danone combines its formula milk recipes with Meiji’s patented tab production technology.
The infant formula tabs will be first rolled out in UK, but Danone plans to offer the new format in other countries in Europe as of 2022.
Danone begins production of plant-based Alpro drinks Russia
Earlier, the dairy giant announced that it had begun production of plant-based Alpro drinks at its Labinsk plant in the south of Russia.
According to a report by FoodBev, this marks the first time the beverages have been produced in the country.
The launch is the culmination of an investment project to create a new production line at the facility in Krasnodar Krai which was initiated in late 2019.
The first stage of the project has now been completed, with the production of oat, almond and coconut drinks underway.
According to Danone, the new line has a capacity of 7,000 units of product per hour in 1-litre and 0.75-litre packaging.
The move comes in response to growing interest on the part of Russian consumers in plant-based products.
A global study of by the US-based NGO The Good Food Institute, quoting data from French market researcher Ipsos, showed 38% of Russians would eat a plant-based substitute for animal protein– a larger proportion than consumers in Spain, Germany, Japan, South Korea and France.
It also cited research from Canadian advocacy group Animal Voices that 5.1% of Russians are vegetarian and 9% are flexitarians (people who occasionally eat meat and fish).
Danone has also recently announced a €12 million investment in a new plant-based production line at Danone’s Parets del Vallès factory in Spain, which will produce coconut and oat-based products.
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