Kirin Oishii Immune Care Series Relaunched

● Kirin Oishii Immune Care packaging revised to enhance visibility and reliability of functionality
● Kirin Oishii Immune Care Calorie Off has improved taste balance and the flavor and packaging have been changed to make it healthier and tastier to continue drinking every day.
● New label-less products in 100ml PET bottles will be available in 6-packs exclusively through EC.

TOKYO, Thursday January 25, 2024 - Kirin Beverage Company, Limited (Kirin Beverage) will launch a nationwide renewal of the Kirin Oishii Immune Care series of functional food products containing Kirin's proprietary material L. lactis strain Plasma [postbiotic] (LC-Plasma) on March 19. Kirin Oishii Immune Care has been redesigned with new packaging to enhance visibility and reliability of its functions, and Kirin Oishii Immune Care Calorie Off has been redesigned with improved taste balance and packaging to make it healthier and tastier so that consumers can more easily continue to drink it every day. In addition, a new label-less product in 100ml PET bottles will be released in six-packs exclusively through EC (e-commerce) to further promote the "immune care" habit among consumers. Through LC-Plasma-containing beverages, Kirin Beverage will continue to deliver tasty health to consumers every day.
*1 Supports the maintenance of immune function in healthy people [research report on LC-Plasma].

The market for small-volume drinkable yogurt and lactic acid beverages is continuously expanding against the backdrop of growing health consciousness.*2 According to a Kirin Beverage survey, it was found that there is a growing awareness of "wanting to be healthy from the inside out" and "wanting to protect one's own health" as health consciousness has increased.*3 The growth rate of the sales value of functional food products by claimed efficacy in 2023 is expected to be 1063%, 287%, and 167% for "immune countermeasures," "stress relief and sleep support," and "intestinal regulation" respectively, compared to 2020.*4 The growth rate is expected to be significant over the next few years.
*2 Intage SRI+, estimated sales scale (sales value), all categories, 220 ml or less (category defined by Kirin Beverage), period: Jan. 2022 - Sept. 2023
*3 Target: Men and women aged 20-69 nationwide n=10,000, period: April 15 to April 16, 2023
*4 Fuji Keizai, "H-B Foods Marketing Handbook 2023 No. 3: Market Analysis by Functional Labeling," Functional Foods

Since its launch in March last year, product awareness of Kirin Oishii Immune Care has continued to improve, mainly due to the expansion of the product lineup as a product that conveys trust in its functions and delicious taste.*5 As a result, the annual sales volume of the Kirin Oishii Immune Care series in 2023 grew significantly, approximately 3.4 times that of Kirin iMUSE Morning Immune Care, which was launched in the same container. Products with functions that help build a foundation for good health are more likely to be consumed on a habitual basis.*6 On the other hand, since 90% of Kirin Oishii Immune Care users are still light users*7・8, Kirin Beverage expected further habitual consumption of the product and saw an opportunity for growth. Kirin Beverage will promote habitual drinking by revamping the packaging and flavor to make "immune care" even more part of people's lives. In addition, Kirin Beverage will launch a new environmentally friendly label-less product to help reduce the amount of plastic.
*5 Internal research, April, July, and October 2023 quantitative survey, men and women aged 20-69 nationwide, n=10,000
*6 Intage SCI, 220 ml or less lactic, lactic acid bacteria, and yogurt drinks, 2022
（Each function is classified by Kirin Beverage definition for functional and general products)
*7 Those who drink less than 8 bottles per month are defined as ”light users.”
*8 Intage SCI, 3-month sales from March 27, 2023.

Through the further growth of LC-Plasma-containing beverages, Kirin Beverage will continue to make various efforts, including promotions and sales promotion measures, so that "immune care" will become a daily health habit for many consumers.

Functional Foods
-Notification: This product contains Lactobacillus plasma (L. lactis strain Plasma). Plasma lactobacilli act on pDC (plasmacytoid dendritic cells).
It has been reported to help maintain immune function in healthy people.
-Eating habits should be based on staple foods, main dishes, and side dishes, with a balance of meals.
-This product has not been approved by the government.
-This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent disease.

About Kirin Holdings

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.

Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.

Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV* creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.

*Creating Shared Value. Combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large.

GALLERY