As part of its efforts to make good nutrition accessible to those who need it most, Nestlé is launching Bear Brand Milk N’ Soy, a soy-based powdered milk drink for school-age children in the Philippines.

Nearly three billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet, and many do not have access to good nutrition. Because school-age children are undergoing significant growth and mental development, they need a healthy, balanced diet that includes protein, vitamins and minerals from sources such as grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy. In the Philippines, undernutrition among school-age children remains a significant public health concern. Nestlé aims to help address this issue with Bear Brand Milk N’ Soy, which combines the goodness of milk with the convenience of high-quality plant-based protein, such as soy.

“We created Bear Brand Milk N’ Soy to meet the specific nutritional needs and taste preferences of school-aged children and made it accessible to Filipino families,” said Serena Aboutboul , Head of Strategic Nutrition. “This great-tasting new beverage further expands Bear Brand’s product portfolio in the Philippines, which already provides millions of servings of micronutrient-fortified milk beverages to children every day. We believe there is significant growth potential in extending the benefits of Bear Brand to older children throughout their school years.”

Milk is an important source of nutrients such as protein, calcium and vitamins, while soy provides high-quality protein with essential amino acids, healthy fats, fiber and other nutrients.
"Soy protein is not as soluble as milk protein and has a bean-like taste and grainy texture when combined with milk," explains Isabelle Bureau-Franz , Head of Nutrition Research and Development at Nestlé. "However, our innovative enzyme technology allows us to seamlessly blend milk and plant proteins, resulting in nutritious and convenient drinks that taste great and have a smooth, creamy texture."

Similar products for school-age children have already been launched in Nigeria under the brand name Nido and are now expanding to Asia, other parts of Africa and Latin America.