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Latest research from intelligence agency Mintel has highlighted a strong opportunity to boost regular milk's health credentials.
While seven in 10 (71 per cent) Indians have used milk at least on one occasion in the last three months, as per Mintel, only three in five (59 per cent) Indian consumers associate milk with being healthy and just 37 per cent perceive milk to be a high source of calcium. Moreover, Mintel research reveals that as many as three in five (61 per cent) Indians are trying to eat more protein, but just 39 per cent perceive milk to be a high source of protein, highlighting the potential which milk offers to protein-loving consumers.
Though Indian consumers may not fully recognise milk's health benefits, it seems they are open
to supporting their healthier lifestyles with their glass of milk. According to Mintel, over a quarter (26 per cent) of regular milk drinkers in India are looking for milk with added nutrition, while 22 per cent are seeking milk offerings that provide specific health benefits.
Natasha Kumar, Food & Drink Analyst, India, at Mintel, said: “Milk has been traditionally associated with health benefits. However, this may no longer be the case in India today. Amidst reports on adulteration (such as the inclusion of things likes detergent and paint), consumers no longer see the value that regular milk can provide them. There are many worrying lifestyle diseases cropping up in India, and consumers are vowing to adopt healthier lifestyles and seeking added benefits in all that they eat or drink. Manufacturers of milk products can tap into this situation by communicating milk’s health credentials, such as its high calcium and protein content. There is opportunity for dairy manufacturers to fortify milk in order to increase its association with ‘health’, particularly through providing benefits that target specific health concerns—enabling consumers to see value in the product.”
In light of consumer demand, there is a call for dairy brands to focus on ethical and environmental claims.
According to Mintel Global New Products Database, there has been a steady decline in ethical and
environmental claims in the milk and flavoured milk categories. In 2018, less than half (45 per cent) of milk and flavoured milk launches in India carried ethical-environmental claims. In comparison, 52 per cent of Indian milk and flavoured milk products launched in 2016 carried ethical-environmental claims.
Highlighting the demand for eco-friendly milk, three in 10 (29 per cent) Indian consumers say that they actively look for ethical claims or seals on packaged food or drink product labels. Building on this, a worry that is only just emerging is that 15 per cent of milk drinkers in India have expressed their concerns around the welfare of dairy animals.
“Dairy brands that effectively communicate their environmental and animal welfare credentials can
potentially reap the benefits from people’s changing priorities. Consumers, today, are not only conscious of what they put inside their bodies but also what they put back into the environment. Therefore, when brands follow the same ideologies, are transparent about their practices and carry ethical claims, these informed consumers get up and take notice. This in turn gains their trust in the long run,” Kumar said.
Finally, it seems the time is ripe for brands to also reposition flavoured milk in the Indian dairy market—as just 23 per cent of regular milk drinkers in India have consumed packaged flavoured milk in the last three months.
Of these flavoured milk drinkers, a significant portion drink flavoured milk for emotional reasons; some 30 per cent consume flavoured milk as a treat, while over a quarter (27 per cent) do so to satisfy a sweet craving. Meanwhile, a quarter (23 per cent) enjoy flavoured milk as a dessert. Looking for more choices, 14 per cent of Indian regular milk drinkers feel that there are not enough varieties of flavour in flavoured milk.
“Flavoured milk is still not a category that enjoys mainstream consumption in India. Instead, it is typically consumed on impulse, with a sizeable population of flavoured milk drinkers consuming it as a treat or dessert. Brands can look to reposition flavoured milk as a product that allows for permissible indulgence to increase its appeal among Indian consumers,” Kumar said.