Food giant Nestlé has launched Nido Milk & Soya in Nigeria as part of its efforts to offer products that combine milk and soy.
Nestlé experts at the regional R&D centre in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, developed the instant power that complements a variety of cereals, porridges, and drinks, the company noted.
Tesfalidet Haile, head of Nestlé's research and development Centre in Abidjan said, "We used our local expertise in cereals and dairy innovation to combine milk powder with a plant-based ingredient, while ensuring that the product had a good taste, texture, and solid nutritional credentials.
"This combined with the use of locally sourced soy enabled us to deliver a nutritious and affordable milk and plant-based beverage with sustainability benefits."
According to the food giant, Nido Milk & Soya contains essential nutrients such as protein and fibre and is a source of iron and calcium.
Nestlé added that it is the company's first affordable and nutritious instant powder in Central and West Africa made with a blend of milk and plant ingredients.
'Nutritious, Tasty Products'
Laurent Alsteens, global category head for early childhood nutrition at Nestlé, said, "We continue to expand our offerings with nutritious, tasty products that complement the everyday diet of children and their families.
"Through combining the goodness of dairy and plant ingredients, we can deliver a new flavour experience with nutritional benefits."
Nestlé teams also develop and test new concepts that combine milk and plant ingredients at its the R+D Accelerator in the R&D centre in Konolfingen, Switzerland.
Last year, the teams developed a powdered beverage made with milk, soy and fruit that was first piloted in Asia.
The beverage was tailored to meet the nutritional and taste preferences of children in an affordable and sustainable way.
