Fonterra Cheese Innovations Rolled Out

19 December 2005

Fonterra Cheese Innovations Rolled Out Across Asia

Fonterra's innovative CHESDALE(tm) chocolate cheese slices are being rolled out across Asia with the aim of encouraging more consumers to eat cheese as part of their daily diet.

CHESDALE(tm) chocolate-flavoured cheese slices were launched in Taiwan earlier this year and made an immediate impact on consumers who traditionally shun cheese.

Within six months they had grabbed a 10 percent share of the overall cheese market, earning Fonterra more than $1 million.

To date, Taiwanese consumers have eaten more than 3 million slices of chocolate-flavoured cheese, and the product is now making in-roads into the Singapore cheese market as well. It is also currently being launched in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

Fonterra Category Development Manager Richard Tay says innovative products are helping to re-define the concept of cheese for consumers in Asia.

"Our research has shown that cheese is increasingly being viewed as a healthy and nutritional food item," Mr Tay says.

"We want to build on this increasing awareness by introducing a range of new cheese products which cater to Asian palates while still providing all the dairy protein goodness and nutrition that families have come to associate with Fonterra."

CHESDALE(tm) has been a leading brand in Singapore for over a decade and was one of the first low fat, high protein cheese slices in the market.

Fonterra Brands Singapore Country Manager Achyut Reddy says chocolate cheese has been well received by consumers.

"CHESDALE chocolate cheese slices are favoured by parents of young children, as it offers protein and calcium with less sugar than other similar products in the spreads category," Mr Reddy says.

"Its chocolate taste makes it all the more appealing for children and adults alike."

Fonterra is reaching out to more traditional Asian homes by partnering with Singapore company Jolibean to launch chocolate cheese pancakes.

Normally eaten with traditional fillings like peanut or red bean paste, the pancakes will now also be available with a tasty chocolate cheese filling.

CHESDALE Crunch, another innovative product launched successfully in Taiwan this year, also has plans to move into other Asian markets. Available in several flavours, the crackers and cheese product is packaged to provide a nutritional and ready-to-eat snacking option for consumers.

Taiwan-based CHESDALE(tm) Brand Manager Hamish Reid says in Asia cheese has traditionally been viewed as only a breakfast food or sandwich filling.

"With CHESDALE Crunch we are introducing new ways to provide nutritional snacking options to families that they can enjoy during any time of the day."

More than 424,000 packs of CHESDALE Crunch have been sold in Taiwan, and plans are underway to launch CHESDALE Crunch in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia from the end of this year.

ENDS