Unilever plans to expand Knorr product offering

MANILA, Philippines — Unilever Philippines is looking to expand its product offering under the Knorr brand to cater to consumer preferences.

Marinelle Villanueva, nutrition business unit lead at Unilever Philippines, said there are plans to expand the products being offered in the country particularly under the Knorr brand.

She said the company has been looking at the new food formats and products that the consumers and home cooks want for their new dishes to better serve consumers.

“Maybe in the next two to three years, you’ll see some new items,” she told reporters.

Among the products being considered are new cooking sauces.

While Unilever Philippines has the capacity and capability to produce the additional products like cooking sauces, she said the company could also opt to bring these products from other countries where it has manufacturing operations.

The company has a plant in Cavite, which produces Knorr and Lady’s Choice products.

Villanueva said Knorr is currently the leading brand for cooking needs including seasoning in the Philippines, accounting for more than 50 percent of the market.

She said the company expects to see growth in sales of Knorr products this year.

Beyond the Knorr cubes, Villanueva added that other products in the portfolio including liquid seasoning are also growing.

“We see Filipinos expanding also the number of products that they use in terms of format. And they found ways to use it in different ways of preparing dishes. Before, it’s mostly soup and fried dishes. Now, we’re seeing them also preparing saucy dishes, grilling a lot more, you know, doing marinades. That’s what’s driving the growth,” she said.

The company also announced its commitment to reach 15 million individuals by 2030 for its nutrition education programs.

Hanna Laurel-Villaroman, brand manager for Knorr meal mixes, soups, and purpose, said the company has already reached 12.5 million Filipinos since it started its nutrition education program.

Aside from the nutrition business, Unilever is also engaged in supplying beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care and ice cream products.

Earlier, Unilever Philippines said it is optimistic of sustaining robust growth this year as it aims to grow faster than the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The government has set a six to seven percent GDP growth target for this year.