Press Release
Last October 15, the world’s number one organic dairy producer, Arla Foods, launched its Natural Goodness range of dairy products at Skye Lounge in BGC. The event proved to be a success as it gave attendees a closer look at what makes Arla and its family of dairy products special.
The launch of Arla’s Natural Goodness range last October 15 at Skye Lounge was graced by a star-studded cast of Arla principles and influencers. On photo are: Model, tv personality, and mother of three Amanda Griffin-Jacob, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Denmark to the Philippines Jan Top Christensen, Arla Foods Senior General Manager for Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand Jens Christian Krog Nielsen, General Manager for ScanAsia Overseas, Inc. Raymund William Acedera, Co-owner of the blog The Gypsetters, and Contributing Writer for Travel+Leisure South East Asia Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi, Zumba Fitness instructor, Blogger and founder of Healthjunkie.ph Tonette Nicolas, Executive Chef at Chef Ysabel, Buenisimo and Chef Gino’s Gourmet, and the Director and Head Instructor of Center for Asian Culinary Studies Gino Gonzalez, Health and Fitness Consultant and Coach, and Player for the Philippine Volcanoes and Philippines National Rugby Team Chris Everingham, and Tourism ambassador, Food advocate, and Ministry of Mushrooms co-founder Marco Lobregat.
Hosted by Amanda Griffin-Jacob, the event featu red a couple of booths that offer different treats made healthier with the natural goodness of Arla products. It was also graced by Arla representatives and a bunch of influencers who’ve got nothing but praises for the natural dairy brand.
Surpassing European Standards
“The Philippines today, for us, represent a country that is a bright shining star of Asia,” shared Jan Top Christensen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Denmark to the Philippines. “Denmark is a very small country, and in spite of that we have a presence in all foreign countries through our products. You can name them all: in pharmaceuticals, energy, fashion, and food.”
Ambassador Jan shared that their presence was so strong that they actually supply 40% of food ingredients in the global food industry. According to him, this is made possible because Denmark, for centuries, combined food industry with science. “We’ve developed methods that increase efficiency, quality, and safety in more ways.”
He also said that Arla is a model of the principles that helped create the success of Denmark. “Authorities in Denmark are very strict when it comes to quality and food safety. Arla has gone even further down the road and is not only living up to the standards, they’ve managed to surpass those standards when it comes to food safety and technology, as well as that of the environment and the welfare of the animals they care for,” he adds.
Jens Christian Krog Nielsen, Senior General Manager for Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand for Arla Foods, said that “Arla is about doing the right thing – not only for profit but doing things for the environment and in terms of animal welfare.”
Delighting Filipinos with Natural Dairy
“The Philippines, for Arla Foods, is the right place to be, at the right time,” shared Jens.
The nation’s gastronomic choices now border on safe, traceable, natural, and reliable. Filipinos, however, find it hard to look for real food to serve to their tables. “You’re given so many choices in the market. To be able to look at one brand and think Aha! I’m safe here! It is just fantastic,” said Tourism ambassador, food advocate, and Ministry of Mushrooms co-founder Marco Lobregat. Paolo Serrano, Marketing Head for Arla Foods Philippines shares that, “Arla can fill a space in the Filipino tables by responding to the need for all-natural dairy that offers no preservatives, no stabilizers or artificial colorants. Arla is all-natural, and that’s the kind of food Filipinos deserve.”
Arla Foods, the world’s largest multinational farmer-owned organic dairy company, now makes it easy for Filipinos to go natural with the first Philippine and Southeast Asian launch of a completely new line of dairy products, all made from 100% natural milk and ingredients. Raymund William Acedera, General Manager for ScanAsia Overseas, Arla’s local distributor said that, “it’s a winning formula for Filipino consumers. ScanAsia is committed to giving Filipinos access to the world’s best products.”
Chef Gino Gonzalez, who delighted guests with his own recipe for Potato Cheese Balls, that makes use of Arla Full Cream milk, Natural Emmental and Gouda slices, said that Filipinos are now more sophisticated and are more knowledgeable in what they eat. ”Being a chef, a husband and a father, I want everything to be safe and natural as possible in my house and in my restaurants,” he adds.
The Farmer-owned Difference
Health coach and fitness consultant Chris Everingham raved about how Arla treats its cows. “This is where health goes – it starts with the land, it starts with the soil, it starts with the animals, and if they are treated right, if they’re working well and they are happy with what they’re doing, they’re going to produce the best materials that go into our dairy products,” he said. Arla’s farmer-owned structure ensures that consumers can count on the fact that all their products are traceable and bring food safety. All farms have a number that accompanies all records and analyses from tanker to dairy. Not only does this guarantee transparency, it also allows us them trace the milk all the way back to the farms, should there be any cause for concerns.
Marco then adds: “I’m a big advocate of farming in general. My family’s been in farming, just as I have. Here in the Philippines, it becomes a bit of a problem because not many people are going back to farming. Arla’s story of how so many farmers banded together in Europe to come up with a superior product is just plain remarkable and I hope that inspires our farmers.”
Amb. Jan remarked that “A very efficient cow in Denmark can actually produce up to 60 liters of milk per day.” The secret to Arla is that they believe that happy cows produce happy milk. “You can always trust that the cows are well-treated and well-fed,” shared Jens.
Natural Safety, Quality and Nutrition
When asked about what it’s like producing all-natural dairy, Jens said: “Making it simple is not the easy thing because the best demands a lot of innovation.” Arla’s new lines of dairy products are made from 100% natural milk obtained straight from the cows cared for by its farmers.
“We often talk about food quality and people always think about the taste or safety; food quality is also about how nutritious it is for you,” added Co-owner of The Gypsetters blog and Contributing Writer for Travel+Leisure South East Asia Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi. “To know that my son can drink milk that the Vikings drank is of course incredible. I’ll ask him to finish it all to be strong like the Danes!” she adds.
The Arla Milk Goodness line is all-natural and not reconstituted like most of the milk in the shelves today. The milk delivered straight from the farm undergoes ultra-heat treatment, which kills any microbiological organisms, ensuring safety in every drop and allowing all Arla Milk Goodness variants to have a 12-month shelf life.
Arla Milk Goodness comes in a family of variants: whole Full Cream UHT Milk 3.5%, semi-skimmed Low Fat UHT Milk 1.5%, skimmed Low-Fat UHT Milk 0.3%, and Organic Full Cream UHT Milk, the first organic full cream cow’s milk introduced in the Philippines. Also available is the brand’s Lactose Free Full Cream UHT Milk, which is made by putting an enzyme that breaks down the remaining lactose right after filtering out most of it.
Arla Natural Cheese Slices, meanwhile, comes in a variety of flavors. Cheese starters will want to enjoy Arla Natural Gouda Slices, the only Gouda in the market with no added preservatives, colorants, or additives. A nice addition to your household cheese board is Arla’s Natural Mozzarella Slices.
Produced in Allgaü, Germany’s premier cheese-making region (Allgaü is to Emmental as what Parma is to ham), Arla’s Natural Emmental Slices gives off that aromatic nutty flavor that’s also delicately spicy in taste. Lastly, Arla’s Natural Havarti Slices, the brand’s banner product, is a cheese based on a Danish recipe by Hanne Nielsen that dates back to the 1870’s. Arla takes pride in being the world’s biggest producer of the mild and very creamy Havarti cheese.
Arla’s Natural Cream Cheese line is filled hot into its tubs and sealed instantly to preserve that 100% no-preservative, no-additive, no-stabilizer, all-natural goodness. From casual get-togethers to afternoon snacks, Arla’s Herbs and Spice Cream Cheese adds that extra oomph to your cooking’s flavor. Arla’s Lacto-Free Natural Cream Cheese variant brings in the full flavor of regular plain cream cheese, but without the milk sugar.
Arla’s Natural Light Cream Cheese variant contains the same full flavor but with less fat, perfect for weight-watching eaters. Enjoy Arla’s Natural Cream Cheese for the entire cream cheese flavor minus the additives and preservatives of most cream cheeses on the market today. Filipinos will want to dip into a blend of sweetness and acidity with Arla’s Pinapple Cream Cheese, the variant that rated highest in Filipino taste tests conducted by the brand.
All products were used in making the treats made available during the launch, including the creamy perfection of Starr’s Famous Milkshakes, all-natural ice cream by Fog City Creamery, homegrown brews courtesy of Bo’s Coffee, and an assortment of appetizers made from Arla cheese and cream cheese. There were also booths that feature recipes by Chefs Gino Gonzalez (Cheesy Potato Balls) and China Cojuangco (Pineapple Upside-down Cake) – all made with the natural goodness of Arla’s dairy products, a testament to what Jens said about the brand’s promise of Natural Goodness: “Natural Goodness is something that goes beyond just taste and quality – it’s about going that extra mile.”
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Arla Foods is an international dairy company owned by 13.000 farmers from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands. Arla Foods is one of the strongest players in the international dairy arena, with a wide range of dairy products of highest quality. Well-known brands like Arla®, Lurpak® and Castello® belongs to the Arla family. Arla Foods is also the world’s largest manufacturer of organic products. For more information on Arla Foods, visit their website at http://www.arla.ph or follow their local facebook page at <facebook.com/ArlaPH> and on Instagram via <Instagram.com/arla_PH>
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