Vitamin-enriched kids milk offers parents nutritional 'safeguard': Arla Foods
Big Milk, which contains added vitamin D, vitamin A, iron and calcium, was developed to specifically meet the nutritional needs of children from ages one to five, said the company.
Each 100ml of Big Milk, currently available in two litre bottles, contains 1.2mg of iron, 122mg of calcium, 2.15 micrograms (µg) of vitamin D, and 65µg of vitamin A.
It was developed in line with the UK Department of Health (DOH) recommendation that from the age of one a child's diet should be supplemented with additional vitamin D, vitamin A and iron.
"In the UK, the Government recommends that all children between one and four years of age take a supplement containing vitamin A and vitamin D," an Arla Foods UK spokesperson told DairyReporter.com.
"Arla Big Milk has been formulated to have the correct levels of vitamins and minerals based on 2x200ml servings daily."
"Children are growing and developing at very individual rates and sometimes it's hard for them to get everything they need from a balanced diet alone."
"The addition of vitamin D, iron and vitamin A to Arla Big Milk provides a safeguard to help parents ensure their children meet the requirements of these vitamins and minerals on a daily basis," the spokesperson said.
"Very different" from toddler formula
In the first six months of a child's life, the DOH recommends exclusive breastfeeding or the use of infant formula.
It recommends children switch to full fat fresh cow's milk from the age of one.
Some parents, however, opt to feed their children toddler formula, which are produced for children between the ages of one and three.
Asked if Big Milk could challenge such products for market share, Arla said simply that "they are very different products."
"Formula milk is often ultra-heat treated or powdered. Formula also contains a number of other ingredients including additional vitamins and minerals, and fatty acids," said the spokesperson.
"Arla Big Milk is different to follow-on or formula milk as it is simply fresh, whole cows' milk with added vitamins and minerals."
"It enables children to enjoy the nutritional and taste benefits of fresh cow's milk," the spokesperson added.
Innovative product
At £2.25 (US$3.40, €3.15) a bottle, Big Milk is similar in price to Arla Foods UK's Cravendale filtered fresh milk, but significantly higher than the £1 (US$1.50, €1.40) many British supermarkets charge customers for a two litre bottle of fresh milk.
The development of Big Milk is in line with Arla's strategy to support its 3,000 British dairy farmer owners "by developing innovative products to add value to the milk category."
"Being owned by farmers, it's also important that we make the most from their milk," said Stuart Ibberson, category director, Arla Foods UK.
Arla will support the launch of Big Milk with a £2m (US$3m, €2.8m) marketing campaign designed to specifically target parents of toddlers.
