Yili has received nominations in eight categories for the World Dairy Innovation Awards 2020, which recognizes excellence and innovation across the global dairy industry. The awards, which is hosted by the authoritative industry media FoodBev Media, will be broadcast online this year on June 16.
As the most-nominated health food company of the year, Yili was named as a finalist in a wide range of categories, demonstrating its innovative force and industry leadership. This marks Yili’s third consecutive year as a finalist for the World Dairy Innovation Awards.
Yili brands, products, and initiatives were shortlisted in the following eight categories, and even received multiple nominations for packaging:
· Best Children’s Dairy Product – Lolly Pop Cheese (Yili)
· Best Dairy Snack – Freeze-Dried Yogurt Bites (Yili)
· Best Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt – Xujinhuan Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream (Yili)
· Best Intolerance-Friendly Dairy Product - Unitstekend Geitenmelk (Yili)
· Best Manufacturing/Technology Innovation – Development of yogurt ice cream with high active probiotics (Yili)
· Best Marketing Campaign or Initiative – Ambrosial 2020 CNY Campaign (Yili)
· Best New Brand or Business – Zhennong (Yili)
· Best Packaging Design – JoyDay (Yili), Satine Organic Pure Milk (Yili), Danish Cheese Yoghurt (Yili)
Under the guidance of Chairman and President Pan Gang, whose “No innovation, no future” mantra has steered the company to embrace a forward-looking strategy, Yili has focused on integrating global smart resources and continuously improving innovation and service support and capabilities. With a global innovation network that spans Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas, Yili has established a comprehensive product R&D and innovation platform that aims to cultivate cutting-edge advances in the health food field. Its investment in product innovation has reaped fruitful results, as new product sales accounted for 19.4% of total sales in 2019.
Among Yili’s many shortlisted products and initiatives this year, Unitstekend Geitenmelk , the infant goat milk powder brand, was selected for its innovative approach to baby formula. With ingredients sourced from high-quality farms in the Netherlands, the formula is abundant in active probiotics and comprised of small molecules that make it easier for babies to digest and absorb nutrients. The formula meets the quality standards of Nederlandse Geiten Zuivel Organisatie (NGZO) Quality Committee, European Standardizaiton and Naitonal Standard in China.
Best Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt contender Xujinhuan uses high-quality frozen yoghurt with live bacterial cultures, enveloped in a colorful outer layer made up of 100% fresh fruit and vegetable juice. Low fat, low calorie, and low sugar, this delightful dessert has become a huge hit with consumers. Meanwhile, the yogurt brand Ambrosial, with its consistently elevated product and consumer experience, has driven ahead with its overseas expansion in key markets such as Southeast Asia.
As the health food industry continues to diversify and embrace trends such as personalization, Yili will continue to increase R&D efforts to deliver consumers even more unique products, as it aims to become "the world's most trusted healthy food provider".