SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Binggrae, South Korea's leading food company, has announced that its flagship ice bar, Melona, is now available at Costco in Australia starting this month.
Binggrae is well-known for its diverse product offerings, including the best-selling Banana Flavored Milk, Yoplait—the first spoonable yogurt in Korea introduced through a technical partnership with Sodima—and the iconic Melona ice bar. Since its founding in 1967, Binggrae has become a household name in Korea.
At Costco Australia, Binggrae is offering a 24-pack bundle of Melona, which includes 8 bars each of melon, mango, and coconut flavors.
In addition to Costco, Binggrae has already entered other major Australian retail chains. Since its official market entry last year, Binggrae's products have been available at Woolworths, the leading supermarket chain in Australia, and IGA, the fourth-largest. Both retailers currently sell Melona, as well as Binggrae's Samanco—a popular Korean frozen dessert made with ice cream and sweet syrup layered in a fish-shaped wafer, inspired by the beloved Korean winter snack bungeoppang.
Next month, Melona and Samanco are also set to launch at Coles, Australia's second-largest supermarket chain, further expanding Binggrae's reach in the region.
Binggrae first began exporting Melona in 1995, targeting the Korean community in Hawaii. To expand its presence in the U.S., the company established a local subsidiary in San Francisco in 2016, bolstering its sales and marketing efforts. Today, Melona can be found in major retailers such as Costco and other supermarkets, accounting for 70% of the U.S. sales of Korean ice bars. Binggrae later established subsidiaries in China and Vietnam, with its products now sold in mainstream markets across these countries.
Binggrae began exporting Melona to Europe, including France, Germany, the U.K., and the Netherlands last year. Since May this year, Melona has been listed in Albert Heijn, a major retail chain in the Netherlands. Melona has seen high sales rates in Asian mart chains across Europe, such as Tang Frères in France, Go Asia in Germany, Amazing Oriental in the Netherlands, and Oseyo in the U.K. The sales of Melona in Europe in the first half of this year have tripled compared to last year.
Melona continues to enjoy strong sales in North America and Southeast Asia, including the Philippines and Vietnam, and is now exported to over 30 countries worldwide. Binggrae tailors the flavors of Melona to local tastes and preferences, offering varieties such as mango and coconut.
Looking ahead, Binggrae plans to expand its ice bar product lineup in Europe to accelerate its growth in the region.
A Binggrae representative stated, "We aim to establish Australia as a key hub for global market expansion and will focus on increasing our market share in the region."
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Binggrae's Iconic Melona Ice Bar Now Available at Costco Australia
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SINGAPORE, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kerry, a global leader in taste and nutrition, has released its 2026 Supplements Taste Charts for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, highlighting the region's evolving taste preferences and the rise of flavour‑forward, lifestyle‑led supplements and sports nutrition.
Across Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), supplements are increasingly viewed as part of daily wellbeing rather than an occasional health support. Consumers are focused on benefits such as sleep, immunity, digestion, stress management, energy and emotional balance, with taste and texture now strongly influencing continued purchase and long term use.
The global supplements market is projected to reach US$107 billion by 2029 with APMEA continuing to show strong momentum. China, India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East are driving adoption, supported by rising health awareness, busier lifestyles and growing interest in personalised nutrition.
Flavour‑Forward Trends Redefining Supplements
Consumers are moving away from traditional pills toward more flavour-forward formats such as gummies, chews, drink mixes, dissolving strips and powder blends. Here, flavour plays a critical role in masking functional bitterness, reinforcing emotional cues and signalling naturality or efficacy. Three major flavour movements stand out across Asia Pacific and the Middle East:
Simplicity Amplified
Consumers are gravitating toward transparency and ingredient authenticity. Flavours inspired by whole foods, botanicals, fermented notes, and lightly‑sweet or sour profiles signal purity and nutrient‑dense simplicity. Popular flavours include citrus, yuzu, ginger, turmeric, matcha, elderflower, cultured dairy, and yogurt. These pair naturally with today's lifestyle-friendly formats where the flavours enhance a product's perceived health benefits.
Category Crashers
As mealtimes blur and routines shift, consumers aren't sticking to traditional food, beverage, or supplement boundaries. Category Crashers spotlights the emergence of hybrid products that break the mould: savoury energy bars, confectionery-inspired supplement formats, coffee‑infused condiments and more. These hybrids are about creative formats and unexpected pairings that reflect how people eat today.
Maximalist Flavour
Maximalism takes centre stage in 2026, spurred by younger consumers who want bold, layered flavours that deliver high sensory impact. Dessert‑style profiles, sour intensities, spicy‑accented formats, and flavour stacks such as tiramisu passionfruit or brownie chocolate create memorable, intense taste experiences. This trend reinforces supplements as lifestyle treats rather than functional obligations.
Within these trends, sports nutrition continues to broaden beyond athletes to active consumers who expect flavour to match function. Simplicity Amplified is seen in refreshing citrus hydration blends, botanically‑infused recovery options, and natural dairy flavours in high‑protein systems; Category Crashers bring café‑style profiles, soda‑inspired electrolytes and fruity energy shots; and Maximalist Flavour is evident in extreme sour or spicy pre‑workouts, and multi‑layered profiles in protein shakes.
"Consumers across APMEA are demanding more from their proactive health products, not only clinically supported benefits, but also flavours that excite," said Olivier De Salmiech, Vice President, Health & Therapies, Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa. "When products taste great, has science-backed benefits, and integrate naturally into everyday life, they become wellness rituals consumers look forward to."
SINGAPORE, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kerry, a global leader in taste and nutrition, has released its 2026 Supplements Taste Charts for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, highlighting the region's evolving taste preferences and the rise of flavour‑forward, lifestyle‑led supplements and sports nutrition.
Across Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), supplements are increasingly viewed as part of daily wellbeing rather than an occasional health support. Consumers are focused on benefits such as sleep, immunity, digestion, stress management, energy and emotional balance, with taste and texture now strongly influencing continued purchase and long term use.
The global supplements market is projected to reach US$107 billion by 2029 with APMEA continuing to show strong momentum. China, India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East are driving adoption, supported by rising health awareness, busier lifestyles and growing interest in personalised nutrition.
Flavour‑Forward Trends Redefining Supplements
Consumers are moving away from traditional pills toward more flavour-forward formats such as gummies, chews, drink mixes, dissolving strips and powder blends. Here, flavour plays a critical role in masking functional bitterness, reinforcing emotional cues and signalling naturality or efficacy. Three major flavour movements stand out across Asia Pacific and the Middle East:
Simplicity Amplified
Consumers are gravitating toward transparency and ingredient authenticity. Flavours inspired by whole foods, botanicals, fermented notes, and lightly‑sweet or sour profiles signal purity and nutrient‑dense simplicity. Popular flavours include citrus, yuzu, ginger, turmeric, matcha, elderflower, cultured dairy, and yogurt. These pair naturally with today's lifestyle-friendly formats where the flavours enhance a product's perceived health benefits.
Category Crashers
As mealtimes blur and routines shift, consumers aren't sticking to traditional food, beverage, or supplement boundaries. Category Crashers spotlights the emergence of hybrid products that break the mould: savoury energy bars, confectionery-inspired supplement formats, coffee‑infused condiments and more. These hybrids are about creative formats and unexpected pairings that reflect how people eat today.
Maximalist Flavour
Maximalism takes centre stage in 2026, spurred by younger consumers who want bold, layered flavours that deliver high sensory impact. Dessert‑style profiles, sour intensities, spicy‑accented formats, and flavour stacks such as tiramisu passionfruit or brownie chocolate create memorable, intense taste experiences. This trend reinforces supplements as lifestyle treats rather than functional obligations.
Within these trends, sports nutrition continues to broaden beyond athletes to active consumers who expect flavour to match function. Simplicity Amplified is seen in refreshing citrus hydration blends, botanically‑infused recovery options, and natural dairy flavours in high‑protein systems; Category Crashers bring café‑style profiles, soda‑inspired electrolytes and fruity energy shots; and Maximalist Flavour is evident in extreme sour or spicy pre‑workouts, and multi‑layered profiles in protein shakes.
"Consumers across APMEA are demanding more from their proactive health products, not only clinically supported benefits, but also flavours that excite," said Olivier De Salmiech, Vice President, Health & Therapies, Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa. "When products taste great, has science-backed benefits, and integrate naturally into everyday life, they become wellness rituals consumers look forward to."
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Kerry Launches 2026 Supplements Taste Charts: Defining the Next Era of Flavour in Supplements and Sports Nutrition
