Universal Robina Corp. (URC), one of the Philippines’ largest food companies, is expanding into the P6.5 billion cultured milk category with a new product that addresses a greater need among Filipinos for healthier food products.
Universal Robina Corporation (URC) and Asahi Beverages Philippines (ABP) team up to introduce a healthier beverage choice to Filipinos. In photo: URC’s President & CEO Irwin Lee with ABPs CEO Hemalatha Ragavan.
Through URC’s partnership with Asahi Beverages Philippines (ABP), Goodday cultured milk drinks will soon be available in stores nationwide.
Goodday offers more benefits across-the-board than current brands.
It 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.
Goodday comes in two packaging sizes, 350ml and 80ml, in three flavors: original, strawberry, and mango.
Goodday contains Lactobacillus paracasei MCC1849 that is scientifically proven 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.
“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 Irwin Lee, URC’s President & CEO.
“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. “My team and I are ecstatic as we look forward to establishing Goodday as a household Filipino brand like how URC has done for all its current brands.”
Goodday is ABP’s first foray into the Philippine beverage market.
Based on Nielsen Retail Audit 2020 on Ready-to-Drink Beverage, 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 and ABP are introducing Goodday as Filipinos – having gone through adversities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic – now have a stronger appreciation for their health.
“Filipinos now have a sharper, more personal take on the maxim ‘Health is wealth’, and we are here to respond to that with products like Goodday,” Lee said.
Universal Robina Corporation (URC) and Asahi Beverages Philippines (ABP) team up to introduce a healthier beverage choice to Filipinos. In photo (from left): URC’s Jose Miguel Manalang (Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations Director), Pancho Del Mundo (Chief Finance Officer), and Irwin Lee (President & CEO) with ABP’s Hemalatha Ragavan (CEO) and Tee Foong Tsin (Manager, Strategy & Corporate Planning, Philippines, Indochina & Exports).
ABOUT ASAHI BEVERAGE PHILIPPINES
Asahi Beverages Philippines, the local subsidiary of Asahi Holdings Southeast Asia (AHSEA), aims to launch innovative products in the Philippine beverage market. By marrying the needs of Filipino consumers and the breadth of Asahi’s globally recognized products, Asahi aims to bring world-class beverage that will not only excite every Filipino, every day, but also cater to the rising demand of healthy beverages in the wake of the pandemic.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL ROBINA CORPORATION
Universal Robina Corporation is one of the largest branded consumer food and beverage product companies in the Philippines with a significant and growing presence in the ASEAN. It is among the country’s pioneers in the industry and has been operating for over half a century. URC is engaged in an array of food-related businesses including: the production and distribution of branded consumer snack food and beverages; commodities such as sugar and flour; and agro-industrial businesses mainly hogs, animal feeds, and other related products.
