BLUE BAND FINDS A NEW HOME AT UPFIELD; EXPANDS ITS PORTFOLIO WITH NEW RANGE OF PRODUCTS

Upfield, a leading producer of plant-based spreads globally has officially announced its ownership of the Blue Band margarine spread.  The company has also introduced   an innovative portfolio of products in the Kenya market namely:  Blue Band peanut butter, Blue Band real mayonnaise and Blue Band cold pressed canola oil.

Speaking during the launch, Upfield East and Southern Africa Managing Director, Peter Muchiri said:  “In 2018, Blue Band found a new home at Upfield where our purpose is to make people healthier and happier with nutritious and delicious, natural products that are good for them and the planet. Blue Band has been a trusted brand in the Kenyan market for over sixty five years, and the expanded portfolio we have introduced provides more variety and choice to cater for our consumers’ identified, changing needs.”

Natural

 Blue Band peanut butter is highly nutritious. It delivers a rich nutty taste because it is made from natural peanuts. An addition to the spreads category, Blue Band peanut butter provides Omega 6 and is free from preservatives, colorants and other additives.

In addition,Blue Band mayonnaise is a premium condiment made with natural ingredients. It is a rich source of Omega three and six and it  guarantees the customers a   long lasting freshness and a   natural taste to their meals.

 Blue Band cold pressed canola oil on the other hand is an edible oil made from 100% canola seeds making it a rich source of Omega three, six and nine as well as vitamin E. It is fortified with vitamin A. Grown at the foothills of Mt Kenya, it is obtained by cold pressing rape seed to get the oil out without any chemical or heat treatment. The oil is cholesterol free and it is suitable for vegetarians.

Upfield currently purchases over 2000 tonnes of rape seed for its Blue Band cold press canola oil from 3,400 Upfield accredited small scale farmers in the Mount Kenya region. This number is expected to increase to over 7000 farmers in the coming years as demand for canola oil drives increased production.

Quality standards

The company has put in place a rigorous training and testing process to ensure that all the products adhere to the highest quality standards, making them good for their consumers.

Recognizing the differences in the purchasing power of its consumers, Upfield is keen on ensuring that as it continues to bring innovations into the market, different price points will be available for consumers. This will enable the consumers to select a product at the price point that is more appealing to them. The products will be available in various sizes to cater for different markets in all leading retail stores.

As part of the innovation development process, Upfield has heavily invested in sourcing some of its raw materials locally. For instance, Canola oil is  locally  sourced from the slopes of  Mount  Kenya under a partnership with Agventure. This is a clear indication of Upfield’s long-term commitment to the development of the Kenyan agricultural value chain and ultimately,  the country’s economy.

Of all the markets where Upfield operates, Kenya is the first country to expand Blue Band into new categories. All the new innovations are expected to roll out across Africa, Middle East and Asia as well as other global markets like South America in the coming months.