- Middle East region witnessed significant rise due to increased demand for organic products
- Global infant formula market valued to reach USD 103.75 billion by 2026, growing by 10.85 percent annually from 2018
Arla Foods, a leading international dairy company has introduced its range of Arla® Baby&Me® Organic milk supplements and other food products to the UAE market during an event held at Address Hotel, Dubai Mall on Wednesday (February 19, 2020). The multinational cooperative experience in infant nutrition dates back three decades, with Arla producing, supplying and developing infant formulas for the world’s leading infant milk formula (IMF) brands throughout that time, while its milk production history spans more than 130 years. A recent report from Fortune Business Insights revealed that global infant formula market size was valued at USD 45.12 billion in 2018 to reach USD 103.75 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 10.85 percent during the period.
The products unveiled at the launch included: Mom Formula – for expecting mothers; Infant Milk Formulas; Multi-grain porridges – 4 months and above; Fruit and vegetable porridges/pouches – 6 months and above.
Rasmus Malmbak Kjeldsen, Senior Vice President of Arla Foods Middle East & North Africa, said: “The Middle East region has seen a significant rise in demand for organic products and retailers have in turn demonstrated a growing interest in stocking organic baby produce. As one of the world’s leading producers of organic dairy products, we are delighted to bring to the UAE Arla® Baby&Me® Organic’s range of products and serve the needs of discerning parents seeking for quality choice of baby milk supplements.”
Kjeldsen continued: “For milk to be labelled as organic, the farms must meet standards set by EU law on animal welfare, caring for wildlife, sustainability and production quality. This includes being free from preventative antibiotics and artificial hormones used to increase the milk production of cows, ensuring cows are fed a 100 percent organic diet, prohibiting the use of pesticides or artificial fertilizers on all feed crop, and making sure cows graze at least six hours per day from April to November. Essentially, we at Arla recognize that safety, trust and consistent high quality are vital to consumers. In line with this, we can trace the milk back to the individual farm, establish the cause of any problems and act accordingly, prevent and correct, and guarantee transparency throughout our entire value chain.”
Hassan Naja, Head of Arla Child Nutrition, MENA, said: “Today, we are taking forward Arla’s decades of expertise in infant nutrition, into homes in the Middle East. Our pure Arla® Baby&Me® Organic Milk Formula is not only for babies, it’s also for pregnant women, providing inner strength to ensure a healthy and happy motherhood. We are not just aiming to deliver organic mother and infant milk formulas and weaning food products to a new region, our mission is to provide a 100% organic, natural foundation for the next generation’s all-round development for a stronger future.”
Ron Pilnik, CEO of Emirates Snack Foods, said: “We are proud to be a partner of Arla in its foray to introduce organic baby food in the UAE market. It is a timely move as there is a growing number of families shifting to organic food in the UAEand Arla’s reputation for providing high quality products that meet international standards testing and certification would serve their needs. We are delighted for the successful launch of Arla® Baby&Me® Organic in UAE and we are confident that the brand will gain a strong following.”
Arla’sBaby&Me® Organic has also successfully launched in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as part of the company’s rigorous efforts to increase brand presence across the region.
