Established in July 2025, Suntory Beverage & Food Health Enrichment (SBFHE) is a business unit of Suntory Beverage & Food Asia (SBFA) through the integration of Suntory Beverage & Food Thailand and Suntory Beverage & Food Cluster Asia.
SBFHE manages a portfolio of brands including Ribena, CC Lemon, BOSS Coffee, and BRAND’S, which is best known for its Essence of Chicken and a range of health supplement products.
In August this year, BRAND’S introduced the new Ginseng Essence Honey Jelly Strip in Singapore that is said to reimagine ginseng into a modern, on-the-go format catering to busy lifestyles.
“In today’s fast-paced society, many young white-collar professionals aged 25 to 35 have demanding work schedules and busy lifestyles, making it challenging to maintain regular wellness routines,” Omer Malik, CEO of SBFHE, told NutraIngredients.
“BRAND’S Ginseng Essence Honey Jelly Strip is made with high-quality ginseng, which is renowned for its restorative benefits, to meet the needs of these consumers by providing a convenient and enjoyable way to incorporate wellness into their daily lives.”
Ready to consume directly from the sachet, each 15g strip is made with American ginseng extract, Panax ginseng extract, and complementary herbal ingredients, including Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogon root or Ophiopogon japonicus) and Schisandra berry extract.
These key ingredients are commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and through the jelly format, it offers a simple way to relieve fatigue, replenish energy, and support immunity.
Despite being valued for its health benefits, ginseng is often associated with bitter flavors. For the Ginseng Essence Honey Jelly Strip, the natural sweetness of honey helps mask the bitter taste to deliver a more palatable experience.
Driving growth while enhancing consumer well-being
According to Malik, one of SBFHE’s ambitions is to strengthen its position as a leading health enrichment company in Asia by capturing growing demand for health, wellness, and healthy longevity.
“To achieve this, we are leveraging Suntory’s scientific expertise, world-class R&D, and deep consumer insights to develop science-backed solutions that meet evolving health needs,” he said.
“We are also maximizing the synergies and scale of SBFHE as a regional growth platform to accelerate innovation, share capabilities across markets, and bring successful solutions to more consumers.”
Malik added that BRAND’S is continuously gathering consumer and market insights to better understand evolving lifestyles, wellness needs, and consumption occasions.
These insights are then translated into product concepts through close collaboration between its local market teams, research and development, commercial, and supply chain functions.
“We work with leading academic and medical institutions in Thailand to advance research and innovation in health and wellness.”
For instance, BRAND’S is investing into scientific research and partnerships for categories such as brain health, mobility, and sleep wellness.
“By advancing scientific understanding and promoting informed health choices, we aim to support healthier, more productive lives, extending our contribution beyond providing trusted, high-quality products.”
Sustainability efforts
As sustainability is integral to Suntory’s business and long-term growth strategy, the company adopts a holistic approach across its operations, from business decisions to the product development process.
This includes exploring more sustainable packaging solutions, increasing the use of recyclable materials, reducing plastic usage through packaging redesign, and investing in technologies that improve resource conservation.
“We have set sustainability targets towards 2030, focusing on water, climate action, and containers and packaging, placing them at the forefront of all our initiatives. Across Asia, we are advancing water stewardship and resource efficiency through a range of initiatives,” Malik shared.
In Vietnam, Suntory’s plants have transitioned to using full biomass energy in place of fossil-fuel boilers, helping to reduce waste and lower carbon emissions.
Additionally, it is the first company in Thailand’s beverage market to introduce 100% rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) bottles for its Pepsi and TEA+ brands, decreasing reliance on virgin plastic.
“We also invest in environmental education through our flagship Mizuiku Programme. We work closely with schools across our markets, delivering environment-focused learning experiences that help students develop a deeper appreciation of water conservation through both classroom learning and hands-on activities.
“By integrating sustainability into our operations and innovations, we seek to create long-term value for both our business and society while contributing to a more sustainable future.”
