Vinamilk ramps up R&D to win big globally

The Vietnam Dairy Products JSC is stepping up R&D to create innovative products enriched with local flavors to satisfy the diverse range of global tastes.

With its strategic investment in product development, international expansion, and commitment to sustainability, Vinamilk has become the only Vietnamese dairy company in the top 50 global dairy producers. This year it is ranked 36th.

Vinamilk’s R&D efforts have developed customized products tailored to the Asian, African, and Middle Eastern markets despite the challenges of limited research data in some of these regions.

Starting with only one infant cereal SKU, the company has since successfully developed and established 66 SKUs in multiple markets. One of Vinamilk’s successful innovative products is the Ridielac infant cereal with banana and date flavors.

Launched in the Middle East five years ago, this infant cereal with a distinctive local flavor has been well received, and it underpinned the subsequent penetration into North Africa.

The dairy giant has also fortified its African products with vitamin A and minerals to help tackle the challenge of vitamin A deficiency. This problem threatens 42.4 percent of sub-Saharan African children with an increased risk of mortality.

In the Middle East, which accounts for 80 percent of Vinamilk’s export revenues, the company’s localized Ridielac is a favorite among locals, especially for the variety in flavors that enables people to switch their babies’ daily diet regularly.

In Asia, Vinamilk has introduced sweetened condensed coconut milk in Japan to address the demand for plant-based milk amid local consumers’ dairy allergies.

“Our long-term relationship with Vinamilk was built upon accurate and flexible export services and high-quality products meeting all Japanese standards,” Jun Hamada, Vinamilk’s Japanese partner, said.