URC partners with Asahi Beverages to offer cultured milk products

Gokongwei-led food and beverage maker Universal Robina Corp. (URC) on Tuesday announced it partnered with Asahi Beverages Philippines (ABP) to enter the P6.5-billion cultured milk category.

In a statement, URC said that, through its partnership with ABP, it will introduce “Goodday” cultured milk drinks in the market.

It said that the product will soon be available in stores nationwide.

“Consumers have made health and wellness a priority over the past few years, and URC’s joint ventures and product innovations in beverages are ready to address their needs. With our partnership with Asahi, we look forward to the addition of Goodday Cultured Milk Drink to our portfolio of beverage brands to better serve Filipino consumers,” said URC president and CEO Irwin Lee.

“We strongly believe that Goodday will be made available in all of URC’s distribution networks across the Philippines, and in the hands of our loyal consumers as the demand for immunity-boosting health beverages continue to rise,” said Hemalatha Ragavan, CEO of ABP.

URC said the Goodday drink contains Lactobacillus Paracasei MCC1849 to help improve immunity. 

This strain is also known to help prevent the common cold, promote production of antibodies and enhance the effects of certain vaccines, it said.

The Goodday product comes in two packaging sizes, 350ml and 80ml, in three flavors: original, strawberry, and mango.

URC said Goodday is ABP’s first foray into the Philippine beverage market.

Citing Nielsen Retail Audit 2020 on Ready-to-Drink Beverage, the company said cultured milk is the fastest-growing ready-to-drink beverage category in the country.

It has outpaced yogurt and milk, while other categories have seen a decline, URC said. — LA, GMA News