Fortified drinks, either the ready-to-drink or the powdered type are not as saleable as softdrinks. This was the finding of a study on the market availability and affordability of fortified beverages undertaken in selected provinces and cities in the country by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, DOST.

Fortified foods or drinks are added with selected vitamins and/or minerals during processing to increase intake of micronutrients in the diet without changing the food habits. Vitamin A, iron and iodine are the usual micronutrients added to foods drinks as these are the ones found grossly lacking in the Filipino diet. Fortified foods which bears the Sangkap Pinoy Seal on the label have been officially certified by the Department of Health.

The FNRI study revealed that fortified ready-to-drink fruits (e.g. Funchum and Zest-0) were bought by school children but are not as saleable as softdrinks as indicated by store proprietors included in the survey. School children also preferred to buy the powdered drinks Eight 0’Clock, Milo, Tang and Ovaltine, all fortified foods bearing the Sangkap Pinoy Seal.

Smaller packed items are more saleable than the bigger packed items. It indicated that affordability was a factor in the purchase of these items.

Results of the study call for the need of a more intensified campaign on the advantages of fortified foods to create a consumer-driven demand for such products.

Manufacturers of food products should consider affordability by the target consumers in the marketing of their products.

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