CEREAL is an easy way to incorporate whole grain into the diet and numerous studies show that people around the world do not consume enough whole grain in spite of the known benefits, such as heart health and reduced risk of diabetes, said David P. Homer, President & CEO, Cereal Partners Worldwide. In an interview, he said many of thier products contain whole grain as the number one ingredient and since 2003 "we've added more than 25 billion servings of whole grain to our products globally. Our cereals are a convenient way for our consumers in the Middle East to add whole grain into their diet at breakfast, as many of the grain based products are consumed refined in their diets." He further said the company has a strong presence in the Middle East, yet breakfast cereal is still only consumed by about a fifth of the population across the region. In Saudi that number increases to half of all households, he noted. "Our ambition is for cereal to be part of the everyday breakfast in the Middle East," Homer opined. Excerpts follow: Can you tell more about your business strategy in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East? Cereal is an easy way to incorporate whole grain into the diet and numerous studies show that people around the world do not consume enough whole grain in spite of the known benefits, such as heart health and reduced risk of diabetes. Cereal Partners Worldwide (cpw) is a leading global breakfast company and the maker of Nestlé Breakfast Cereals, including brands such as Nestlé Country Corn Flakes, Nesquik and Fitness. We are a joint venture between Nestlé and General Mills, founded more than 25 years ago. We began our journey with just 14 people and an ambitious vision to become a global player in the ready-to-eat breakfast category. Today we operate in 130 markets around the world with about 4600 employees working toward our purpose of ‘making breakfast better', in order to enhance quality of life for the individuals and families we serve every day. What is your presence in the Middle East? Nestlé Breakfast Cereals is a leading player across the Middle East – and market leader in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Across the region, people enjoy around 400 million bowls of our cereals each year – with 210 million bowls coming from Saudi alone. We are proud to build on the strengths of Nestlé in the Middle East with our trusted brands, contributing to 150 years of global heritage and a renowned tradition of innovation. In Saudi Arabia, Nestlé Country Corn Flakes has been in the market for almost 50 years with many people growing up with this brand. How much do you emphasize nutrition in your product development? Breakfast nutrition is core to our growth strategy. For over a decade we have been leading the way in this area with continuous improvements to the nutritional profile of our products while ensuring great taste. For example, in 2012 we reduced sugar by 30% in Nesquik and last year we launched a new recipe for our popular Fitness Original brand, also with 30% less sugar. Many of our cereals are fortified with at least 5 vitamins, as well as iron and calcium. This creates an opportunity to deliver important nutrients at breakfast in a format that is convenient for consumers. What breakfast trends are you seeing in the Middle East and how are you meeting changing consumer needs here? We are seeing similar trends around the world: people want a nutritious and convenient way to start the day, without compromising on taste. This is especially true for families with children, where parents need an option they can trust to deliver. As a father of six, I know firsthand how important this is. That's why at our house, all of my kids grew up on breakfast cereal. Breakfast plays a crucial nutritional role in the diet and one of the emerging areas we see with this next generation is an increased demand for breakfast solutions on-the-go. At Nestlé Breakfast Cereals, we've been answering this demand with an extended product offering, such as the recent launch of Fitness and Nesquik cereal bars, which are growing significantly in the region. What else can we expect from you in future? We are making strides into new segments and formats with our strongest-ever global innovation pipeline. We will also continue building on our significant nutrition achievements over the last decade with continued investment in research and development to bring innovation to the breakfast occasion. In short, it's quite simple: everything we do is to ‘make breakfast better' for the people we serve. We truly believe that in living this purpose we will be well positioned to deliver on the breakfast needs of today and tomorrow.
