EUROPEAN RETAILERS ENHANCE DAIRY LINES WITH STEROLS

MATTHEW ENIS

AMSTERDAM - Albert Heijn, the 700-unit division of Royal Ahold, has introduced four cholesterol-reducing dairy items into its "AH" private-label line, becoming the latest European retailer to fortify private-label products with plant sterols.

Plant sterols, also known as stanols or phytosterols, are naturally occurring plant compounds that have been proved to reduce cholesterol levels when consumed as part of a healthy diet. Several brands in the United States, such as Benecol margarine spreads, Minute Maid Heart Wise orange juice and Yoplait Healthy Heart yogurt, already incorporate sterols as an ingredient.

In Europe, however, a growing number of retailers are viewing sterols as a way to create their own lines of affordable functional foods.

"Most people are aware that reducing saturated fat consumption can lead to lower cholesterol levels, but if you already have somewhat higher cholesterol despite a healthy diet, phytosterols are an excellent method to lower blood cholesterol levels," Simone Hertzberger, vice president of quality assurance for Albert Heijn, explained to SN.

Hertzberger said European consumers are not any more likely than Americans to be familiar with plant sterols or how they work. As a result, packaging for the new product line simply features the "Reducol" trademark from Vancouver, British Columbia-based ingredient supplier Forbes Medi-Tech, as well as a description of the product's cholesterol-lowering properties.

With its new "AH" cholesterol-reducing margarine spread, spoonable yogurt and two yogurt drinks, Albert Heijn joins U.K.-based Tesco, which recently launched a sterol-enhanced milk drink, yogurt drink, yogurt and margarine spread of its own, and Asda, the U.K.-based Wal-Mart subsidiary, which recently rolled out its cholesterol-reducing "Heartfelt Plus Natural Cheddar Cheese." Similarly, Finland's largest supermarket retailer, Kesko, has introduced its own line of "Pirrka" yogurts with Reducol.

Citing regulatory approvals by European Union and U.S. authorities for cholesterol-lowering health claims for phytosterols, global consulting firm Frost and Sullivan in May projected that sales of these ingredients to product manufacturers would more than double in Europe by 2012.

There, as well as in the United States, the blur of health and functionality claims currently facing shoppers could be a primary barrier to faster growth.

"Consumers are often overwhelmed and confused with the flood of information related to the importance of various nutrients in the diet and are consequently unable to distinguish fact from marketing hype," Frost and Sullivan analyst Kaye Cheung said of the report.