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MILO® Singapore reaffirms commitment to reduce sugar levels with its new MILO® Gao Siew Dai

MILO® to raise awareness on reduced-sugar beverages among adult Singaporeans
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(L-R):
  • Audrey Tong, Deputy Director, Corporate & Industry Partnerships, Health Promotion Board
  • Chow Phee Chat, Director, Marketing Communications and Corporate Affairs of Nestlé Singapore
  • Mr Colin Schooling Olivier Aprikian, Head, MILO®, Research & Development
  • Susan Kevork, Nestlé Regional Nutritionist

MILO® Singapore unveiled its new variant for adults, MILO® Gao Siew Dai, alongside the appointment of its new ambassador, national sporting icon and Olympic Gold medallist Joseph Schooling today at Nestlé’s R&amp;D Centre.

This new made-in-Singapore product innovation features a stronger MILO® taste, 50% less table sugar and 30% more protein. In tandem with the rising prevalence of diabetes as well as the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) aim to reduce sugar intake among Singaporeans by encouraging them to consume reduced or no sugar beverages, MILO® Singapore has taken on the challenge of sugar reduction with the launch of the new MILO® Gao Siew Dai. This new product innovation is in line with Nestlé’s global 2020 commitment to reduce the sugar added into its products across its portfolio by 5%.

MILO® Gao Siew Dai adopts the HPB’s Healthier Choice Symbol and aims to encourage lower sugar intake amongst Singaporeans.

MILO, an early adopter of HCS

Ms Joanna Chan, Director of Obesity Prevention Management Division of HPB, said “We are very happy that MILO®, as one of the early adopters of the Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS), has been a strong industry supporter in our initiatives to reduce the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages.

“With the continued reformulation of their products to reduce the sugar content, most of their entire MILO® beverage portfolio today have been awarded HCS certification. We look forward to more industry partners coming on board to join us on this journey to encourage consumers to switch to healthier beverages.”

Schooling for MILO

MILO® Singapore also announced Joseph Schooling as the new MILO® Gao Siew Dai ambassador during the event. The brand ambassadorship is part of MILO being a sponsor of the 29th Southeast Asian Games. The national sporting icon, together with his mother, May Schooling, joined in for a “Live” Skype session from Texas for the launch. His father, Colin Schooling was present at the launch event in Singapore.

Joseph Schooling said: “I’m humbled and happy to be MILO®’s new ambassador. The brand truly resonates with me. As a child I grew up drinking MILO. Today, it remains relevant in my life as an adult and the beverage provides me with the energy and nutrients I need to take on the day’s challenges, be it at training or in life.

“I think it’s great that the MILO® Gao Siew Dai has been introduced. Like many Singaporeans who are increasingly health-conscious, I too am concerned about my sugar intake and while I allow myself the occasional indulgence, I always try to keep to a balanced nutritious diet without consuming too much sugar most of the time.”

Creating MILO® Gao Siew Dai – not just a matter of sugar reduction

The creation journey of MILO® Gao Siew Dai, a collaboration between Nestlé R&D and Nestlé Jurong Factory first started during Q4 last year – and it was not just a matter of sugar reduction. Mr Olivier Aprikian, Head, MILO®, Research & Development explained: “Balancing taste and health concerns was a pivotal part of the innovation process. Other than reducing sugar, we had to tweak the other elements and added in more cocoa and milk to ensure the beverage’s taste was not compromised. There were several rounds of extensive taste tests before allowing the product to go to market. The result? A stronger MILO® taste and a great tasting nutritious beverage, without being too sweet.”

Mr Chow Phee Chat, Director, Marketing Communications and Corporate Affairs of Nestlé Singapore added, “At Nestlé our mission is to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future, so offering tastier and healthier choices is ingrained into what we do. MILO® has been one of Singapore’s favourite beverages for over 80 years. The new MILO® Gao Siew Dai is tailored for adults and is especially catered for Singaporeans palates. All our MILO® products are guided by Nestlé’s strict nutrition criteria and we have over the years launched new HCS products and reformulated our products to meet HCS criteria. Taste as always is our No. 1 priority and we will enhance this with continuous nutrition improvements over time.

“We are very proud and pleased to have our very own Olympic Gold Medalist Joseph Schooling as the ambassador for MILO® Gao Siew Dai. As a remarkable sportsman and a Singapore icon, he embodies great discipline and resilience – which are all key MILO® values. We believe with Joseph as a MILO® ambassador, we can motivate Singaporeans young and old, to work hard to fulfil their dreams and lead happier and healthier lives.”

MILO® Gao Siew Dai is now available at all leading supermarkets and retails for $$6.50 per packet.