NIU’s Global Round-up: UK bans energy drink sales to teens, sleep product success in Korea, and more
Europe
UK bans sale of energy drinks to U16s
Following a public consultation, the British government will restrict the sale of energy drinks to children under 16.
“Last year we consulted on ending the sale of energy drinks to children. The consultation showed overwhelming public support, with 93% of consultation respondents agreeing that businesses should be prohibited from selling these drinks to children,” according to documents published by the UK government yesterday. “Teachers and health professionals, in particular, were strong in their support for the government to take action.
“Therefore, we can now announce that the government will end the sale of energy drinks to children under the age of 16.”
The announcement was welcomed by the British Soft Drinks Association, which said it is in line with the industry's policy on responsible sales of energy drinks.
“The BSDA has consistently supported the ban on the sale of energy drinks to under 16s by retailers as it is in line with our long-standing Code of Practice,” said Gavin Partington, BSDA’s director general. “Therefore, we welcome the Health Secretary’s endorsement of this approach.”
For more on this story, please click HERE.
Asia
Thai sleep brand enjoys Korea success for functional drink
With 35% month-on-month growth in Thailand as a result of achieving the number one spot in the Korea Satisfaction Consumer Index, Thailand’s Healthful Co is planning further domestic expansions.
CEO Suwajpong Asawathippaibul told NutraIngredients-Asia: “Functional drinks are considered a new category in Thailand and consumers are not familiar with relaxation drinks, meaning they may find new products less credible.
“However, Thai consumers see products on sale in Japan and South Korea these markets as being more credible. That is why I choose to export to South Korea.”
That moved proved to be very astute, with the company’s Nice Dream product, a functional beverage to improve sleep quality and insomnia, achieving recognition and market success in Korea, and this then speeding up market growth in Thailand.
LATAM
Online exercise and nutrition to be future 'standard of care' for diabetes, says entrepreneur
Increasing prevalence of diabetes across Latin America is opening up significant opportunities for digital nutrition platforms, says the founder of GlucoseZone by Fitscript – a digital exercise platform and mobile app for people with diabetes.
In 2017, an estimated 26 million adults aged 20-79 were living with diabetes in South and Central America – representing a regional prevalence of 8%, according to the most recent report from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
Charlie O'Connell, founder of GlucoseZone by Fitscript told our LATAM edition that the convergence of digital nutrition and exercise would become increasingly important in the treatment of diabetes in the region.
Latin America had a diabetes “problem”, he added. The goal of GlucoseZone, therefore, is to provide online, clinically-validated expertise and guidance to help this population manage the disease.
“We see nutrition and fitness as being the standard of care for diabetes in the future, and specifically digital access to those therapies will be the standard,” he said.
“...Over the course of the next five to ten years, we look forward to the opportunity to serve the Latin American market in a very, very exciting and biometrically contemporaneous way.”
For more on this, please click HERE.
