By Princewill Ekwujuru

The importance of drinking milk cannot be over-looked. Milk consumption according to National Dairy Council (NDC) contributes to enhanced health and fitness of humans.

The dairy market is filled with a wide range of milk brands, with each battling for consumers’ mindshare. While some may not be available in Nigeria, there are quite a handful of them in the Market. Some of the brands are; Peak milk, Loya milk, Cowbell milk, Dano, Chi, Hollandia, UHT, Nunu, Coast, Three Crown etc. Others have been silent in the dairy market campaign, except for Hollandia which has presence in some quarters of the media.

Averagely, milks have calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous and other blend of nutrients proven to build bones, teeth, as well as promote healthy function of muscles and blood vessels, particularly in children. In the midst of all the new vitamins- water, energy drinks, and other artificially contrived beverages, milk is a natural healthy choice.

Based on these facts, Promasidor Nigeria Limited manufacturers of Loya Milk, said its milk contains 50 per cent more calcium than any other in the dairy market. The brand in its Drink Milk Campaign has projected calcium as its Unique Selling Proposition (USP), and this, from investigation has given the brand an added advantage over competition. Now consumers are beginning to realise the importance of calcium in their bones.

The brand which came into Nigeria in 2004, launched an advertising campaign which ended last year with one key message: Loya Premium is a brand of full cream powdered milk with a new and more calcium formulation; Hi-Calcium.

At the re-launch of the milk in 2010, Mary Jane Umeh, National Secretary of the Dietitians Association of Nigeria made known that “calcium is a major component of mineralized tissues that is required for normal growth and skeletal development”.

She said “optimal calcium intake is important for every member of a growing family to maximize peak adult bone mass and its maintenance, to minimize the elderly bone loss and prevent a number of common chronic medical disorders in our families in particular and Nigeria at large”

Speaking further, Onyekachi Onubogu, the Marketing Director, Promasidor, asserts that “Calcium is an essential part of our everyday life, especially in growing children. We have introduced calcium in Loya milk to demonstrate we care about our consumers welfare.

The emphasis on calcium was driven by research findings that showed that calcium is most abundant mineral in the body with over 99 percent stored in the bones and teeth, and the rest of the body’s tissues and inter-cellular fluids, he said.

It is also important for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, blood clotting, lowering blood pressure, the stimulation of hormone secretion and the activation of enzyme reaction.

When asked why the Loya Milk’s highpoint is on calcium, Keith Richards, Managing Director of Promasidor Nig. Limited, said at the event; “We have really done our homework on the refortified high calcium Loya milk, and this we did in order to offer the growing Nigerian family both young and young at heart a product that offers them not only a healthier diet mix but also tops shelf quality that meets worlds class standards”

However, investigation carried out by Vanguard to determine the impact of Drink Milk campaign and the awareness created so far by the brand’s projection of calcium as essential to the body showed that, of the 115 respondents spoken to, 74 are were aware of the campaign, whilst 65 knew of the brand’s calcium fortification play up. Which 27 respondents claimed ignorance of, as 14 of them were unaware of the campaigns.

Two things have kept the rising profile of Loya milk in the market. One was the claim by a customer at the recently concluded promo, that the milk has helped her daughter develop a stronger bone, which has enabled her to walk. The other is the price mechanism, A sachet of Loya sells for N30 and the Refill Pack sell for between N4500 to N500,. Whilst Peak Milk, the leader in the diary segment sells its sachet for N40 and its refill pack for between N600 to N700

Generally, there are dozen types of milk. The differences between them may depend on the source, fermentation process and the likes.

For instance the pasteurized milk is heated to a temperature that eradicates any dangerous bacteria, but does not affect the flavour of the milk. This kind of milk is for drinking, on cereals and in cooking. Also, unpasteurised milk is also known as raw or untreated milk, and it is becoming increasingly available as people acquired a taste for untreated products.

Nutritionists have recommended that babies, young children, the elderly, pregnant women and anyone with an impaired immune system should avoid drinking unpasteurized milk.

Whole milk is the third type of milk. As the name suggests, it is simply the fresh milk from the cow, with nothing added or taken away, although it is usually pasteurized. Then, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk are type of milk from which part or almost all the fat has been removed. Semi-skimmed (low-fat) milk has a fat content of 1.5 – 1.8 per cent and skimmed milk has a maximum fat content of 0.3 per cent although 0.1 per cent is more usual (source: National Dairy Council).

Another is homogenized milk. When milk is homogenised, the fat particles are broken up and dispersed evenly. The cream is blended into all of the milk, instead of floating to the surface, which it does when it’s left to its own devices.