FDBusiness.com

Turkish consumers’ interest in health and wellness is still in its infancy but growing rapidly, and means big opportunities for manufacturers of organic dairy products – particularly those targeted to children, according to Euromonitor.

Speaking in a video on Euromonitor’s blog , Euromonitor research analyst, Turkey, Pinar Hosafci, said that dairy was one of the biggest packaged food categories in Turkey, with retail sales of more than $4bn (about €3.1bn) in 2012. Within dairy, she says organic is the fastest growing sector, in high double digit growth over the past two years, based on a rising awareness of health and wellness-related issues, and higher levels of disposable income as the Turkish economy has grown.

“In contrast to Western European markets, in Turkey, health and wellness is still in its infancy,” she said. “Manufacturers are launching new products each year and these new brands drive the trend.”

Hosafci pinpointed organic dairy products targeted at children, like chilled dairy snacks and flavoured milks, as having particularly high growth potential in Turkey. These categories saw growth of over 20% in value terms in 2012, according to the market researcher, and it predicts that double digit growth will continue for these products over the next five years.

“In particular, organic dairy products positioned exclusively for children represent an attractive opportunity for the dairy industry,” she said, suggesting that smaller packaging sizes and advertisements directed at children have been effective strategies for dairy companies in recent years.

And organic is not just the realm of branded dairy firms; private label organic products have also been increasing, said Hosafci.