The 33-page e-book explains the characteristics of cereal-based beverages and their important role in a balanced diet in detail to Portuguese consumers.
Célia Craveiro, APN president, said: “It is important to make public and explain to consumers the characteristics of cereal-based beverages and how they can have an important role in an equilibrated diet”.
Shift to off-trade
The e-book includes comprehensive information about cereal-based beverages, such as data on the production process, nutritional composition, benefits of each of the cereals, helpful advice to choose, store and prepare such drinks, as well as sample meals with cereal-based beverages and other curiosities.
In Portugal, the drinks made of cereals are often composed of chicory and cereals such as barley, rye and their respective malts, which contribute to the energetic and nutritional composition of the beverages.
Cereal-based beverages have traditionally had a large consumption, as they are valued both for their taste and for their composition, in which cereals dominate at the expense of coffee.
In 2014, some 700m cups of cereal-based beverages were consumed in Portugal, 70% of which were prepared with milk and 30% with water.
Sales of cereal-based beverages with caffeine topped 1.5m kg in 2014, while sales of the caffeine-free versions were slightly higher than 1m kg.
The market for cereal-based beverages is gaining in significance as the shift of breakfast consumption from outside the home into the home continues unabated in Portugal.
“2014 continued to witness a shift in breakfast consumption, from outside of the home into the homes of Portuguese consumers. This movement from on-trade to off-trade impacted sales of hot drinks. With lower disposable incomes and a high degree of uncertainty in the labor market, Portuguese consumers showed considerable caution with regard to their expenditure patterns,” said Euromonitor International.
Nestlé leads market
Nestlé currently offers almost half a dozen cereal-based beverages to consumers in Portugal and all of them are composed of one or more roasted cereals, in different proportions.
The product line includes Mokambo (barley, chicory, rye and coffee), Tofina (barley, chicory and coffee), Bolero (barley, chicory, rye and added fiber/inulin), Brasa (barley, chicory and rye) and Pensal (barley).
“Nestlé cereal-based beverages are manufactured with ingredients that come directly from nature, which gives them an unequaled flavor of roasted cereals. Because of this, they represent the tastiest form of drinking cereals and are already part of the daily life of millions of Portuguese families,” said Jorge Santos Silva, Nestlé Portugal’s official responsible for marketing of coffees and beverages.
According to the Silva, the aim of Nestlé’s partnership with the APN is to reinforce the fact that, in addition to their delicious flavor, cereal-based beverages are a nutritious alternative for consumers throughout the entire the day, as these beverages are source of fibre without added sugars.
The company’s cereal-based beverages are produced in the company’s Avanca plant and Nestlé is the market leader in the country with a market share of around 75%. All five Nestlé brands of the cereal-based beverages are national. The market for cereal-based beverages is very visible in Portugal, as well as in France, Italy and Germany where other local brands dominate sales.
The APN is a professional association representing nutritionists in Portugal since 1982. Its principal aims include the promotion of sciences of nutrition and food and the creation of links between nutritionists and other professionals, among other aims.