Arla milk packaging voted cream of the crop

Arla Foods has demonstrated why it continues to be the UK's leading dairy company after winning Product of the Year 2008 in the milk category for its Arla branded milk packaging voted for by more than 12,000 consumers.

The packaging which was given a facelift in 2007 aimed to be simple delivering one clear message, standing out on shelf.
The decision by Arla to innovate its packaging followed on the back of a survey that concluded that over 90 per cent* of people in the UK were unaware of the true fat content of a pint of milk. The redesigned labels indicate the true fat content of milk in large graphics giving the design a much welcome clutter-free facelift.

The milk packaging was rolled out to convenience stores nationwide and feedback has been very positive, as Arun Prabhu, Arla Foods senior innovation brand manager, explains: "In the current climate of obesity concerns we felt that it was important to highlight to our customers exactly how nutritious a glass of milk can be.

"Our research shows that typically customers spend around two to three seconds at the milk fixture instore, shopping mainly by the colour of the bottle top. Because they spend little time choosing their milk variant this often leads to huge misconceptions over the fat levels in milk.

"The revitalised packaging tells our customers exactly what they are buying in a clear and concise way. The Farm Standards logo also stands out which assures our consumers that the milk they are buying is British," added Arun.

The Product of the Year Awards endorse quality and innovative products which are short listed by a field of experts involved in food manufacturing and marketing before being voted for by over 12,000 consumers. The logo is recognised by consumers as being a hallmark for quality and Arla intends to use the logo on its own branded milk in the future.

Editors notes

• *dunnhumby analysis for the Milk Development Council among 780 shoppers
• The research, commissioned by the Milk Development Council, revealed that 65 per cent of shoppers believed that whole milk is 'full of fat' and believed it to contain 37 per cent fat when the actual fat content of whole milk is significantly lower - less than four per cent. This misconception was also true with semi skimmed and skimmed variants which are 1.7 per cent fat and 0.3 per cent fat respectively

Arla Foods UK plc is home to some of the UK’s leading dairy brands including Cravendale, Lurpak and Anchor. Processing approximately two billion litres of milk a year Arla continues to be one of the UK’s leading dairy companies and a supplier of fresh liquid milk and cream to the top seven retailers.

Over 2,500 daily deliveries are made directly to stores nationwide and Arla brands can be found across the dairy category. As well as the leader of the butter, spreads and margarine sector, and a major supplier of other added value products including flavoured milk and cheese, Arla continues to build working relationships with Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a unique group of dairy farmers, which supplies around 90 per cent of Arla's total milk requirements.

Behind this leading business is a team of circa 2,800 people across the UK located at our dairies, distribution centres and head office.