New nutritional products aimed at children’s health to launch in South Korea

04 Aug 2022 --- Following a recent five-year survey on the eating habits and nutrition status of teens, children and infants in South Korea, the food company Nutritional Growth Solutions (NGS) will begin selling its Health Heights products on Coupang, a major South Korean online store.

The study found a trend among South Korean children of preferring fast food, skipping meals like breakfast and drinking sugary beverages. Moreover, these trends are correlated with a rise in childhood obesity and vitamin D deficiencies.  

“As with most global regions, there is growing awareness amongst families in Korea for providing their kids with the nourishment they need to ensure proper growth and development in an era defined by busy lifestyles, western diets and high sugar intake,” Liron Fendell, CEO and managing director at NGS, tells NutritionInsight.   

“Our product offers an easy, delicious and holistic means of giving kids their daily boost of nutritious calories and minerals,” she explains. “We will keep expanding our reach to include more global regions as well as more brick and mortar outlets.”

Embracing new markets
Coupang is reported to have engaged with 18 million customers in 2021, and its revenue was over US$18 billion for the same year. The non-exclusive agreement between the two companies will allow NGS to sell its Healthy Heights products, including its recently released KidzProtein and KidzProtein Vegan lines, in an entirely new market.

“APAC [Asia-Pacific] is an important region with a large population who are open to new ideas and actively seeking innovative solutions to help them maintain a healthy and active lifestyle,” Fendell affirms. 

“This launch marks a major milestone in our expansion into the APAC region, and I am excited that Coupang signed on as our first trusted supplier in South Korea.”A new study revealed a trend of preferring fast food and skipping meals like breakfast in South Korean children.

She elaborates that “South Korea has long been identified as a target market for Healthy Heights due to the country’s increasing demand for nutritional products for children, its large population, and growing trend in online food sales.”

Spotlight on children’s health
According to the statement, these two come in both a whey-based and a vegan offering, the latter to meet the nutritional needs of children whose families are utilizing a plant-based diet, children who are lactose intolerant or those with dairy allergies. 

“In the APAC region, there is a high prevalence of lactose intolerance,” explains Fendell. “Our Healthy Heights range was scientifically formulated by pediatricians at the renowned Schneider Children’s medical center in Israel as a means to support children’s diets and grant them the best possible opportunity to grow to their maximal height.” 

The KidzProtein line also comes in a powdered fruit and veggie blend and includes omega 3 fatty acids and protein isolates as well as vitamins and minerals. KidzProtein Vegan utilizes pea and fava proteins, and both versions are meant to fill the gaps in children’s nutrition caused by dietary choices and “picky eating” can be filled with a quick “nutrient dense” alternative.

“This is something I believe will resonate with parents in South Korea due to the flourishing demand for nutritional children’s products in this region,” Fendell concludes.

By William Bradford Nichols