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March 27, 2008: 12:00 AM EST
Sales of cholesterol-lowering, sterol-fortified foods are slowing in the UK because of increasing consumer confusion and competition from other products, particularly probiotics. NutraIngred-ients.com says that overall sales by the two main players, Unilever and McNeill Nutritional, slid in all three categories – spreads, one-shot yoghurt drinks and yoghurts. Only McNeill Nutritional's Benecol one-shot yogurt drinks held their own, with sales totaling $56.5 million in both 2006 and 2007. Its major competitor, Unilever’s Pro.activ one-shot yogurt drink, achieved sales of $22 million. Overall, Benecol products pulled in $101 million in 2007, down 3.7 percent from 2006, while the Pro.activ lines achieved $129.3 million, down 16 percent on 2006. Danone's Danacol has been withdrawn from the market, and Pro.activ one-shot drinks have been taken off the Spanish market. Both Unilever and McNeill say that consumers are switching to probiotic products, and turning to other cholesterol-lowering foods, such as oats.
Shane Starling, "UK Sterol Foods Market Slows Amid Consumer Confusion", NutraIngredients, March 27, 2008, © Decision News Media
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