As part of FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ ongoing international consumer research, we spoke with pregnant women across the globe about these worries. There was one clear constant: from iron to folic acid, prebiotics[1] to DHA, how can they ensure they’re getting all the nutrients they – and their babies – need?
One answer is functional snacks, which are rapidly gaining relevance within the maternal health sector. Not only are they convenient, but they’re also easy to add to a daily diet and have the potential to offer the nutrients new mothers need in just a few mouthfuls. And so, in our conversations with these pregnant women, we also spoke about their preferences – and what exactly they want (and need!) from a nutrient-rich dietary supplement.
Answers varied across the world, and some of them were quite surprising. What was consistently clear was a definite shift away from pills and capsules: instead, women are favouring tasty and convenient choices, from gummies they can snack on to snack bars that are easy to have on hand during busy days. But what women favour in Brazil isn’t necessarily the first choice in China, for instance.
To find out what applications resonate best with new and expectant mums, click here to download our infographic now.
We’re passionate about supporting women at every step of their journey to motherhood. Find out more about our innovations and solutions for the maternal market today – get in touch with the FrieslandCampina Ingredients team: info@frieslandcampinaingredients.com.
[1] The scientific definition of a prebiotic is “A substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit” (Gibson et al., 2017).