Starting November 25, Meiji launched nationwide its infant formula products containing “Bifidobacterium OLB6378”: “Meiji Hohoemi 780g/2-Can Pack” and “Meiji Hohoemi Raku Raku Cube 108g/540g/810g/1620g.” By bringing the intestinal environment of formula-fed infants closer to that of breastfed infants, the company aims to support health and has set a sales target of 110% year-on-year.
At a presentation held on November 18, President Bunjiro Yao emphasized, “Our infant formula business carries a major mission and social responsibility. Delivering reliable nutrition to all infants and young children, and leaving no one behind, is Meiji’s mission.”
According to the company’s survey, the number of infant formula users has been increasing against the backdrop of such factors as the rise in dual-income households. Among parents’ concerns, one of the most common is whether they are providing sufficient necessary nutrition, and interest in improving immunity is also growing.
IgA, an immune antibody, functions to prevent the invasion of bacteria and viruses through the mucous membranes of the intestinal tract and oral cavity. Newborn infants cannot produce IgA on their own, but breast milk contains abundant IgA and can supplement immune function. The company said that the intestines of breastfed infants contain large numbers of bifidobacteria, but these decrease after the weaning period.
In response, Meiji compared more than 300 bifidobacterial strains collected from healthy infants across Japan in an effort to address the issue of “how to protect the immunity of babies who cannot drink breast milk and babies in the weaning period.” It selected strain OLB6378, which most strongly promotes IgA production and retains its function even after heating.
Masashi Nagata, Deputy General Manager of the Global Nutrition Business Headquarters, said, “We aim for a future in which all babies can grow up as healthily as children raised on breast milk. OLB6378 expands those possibilities, and through our research results, we hope to contribute to the future of babies around the world.”
Meiji, which has been engaged in infant and toddler milk products since 1923, is also focusing on reducing the burden of childcare. “Meiji Hohoemi Raku Raku Cube” (2007) won support for its convenience because it requires no measuring. Its liquid formula product “Raku Raku Milk” (2019) was developed following emergency imports during a disaster, and improvements from a pull-tab type to a reclosable cap type have expanded its use in everyday childcare as well.
