Unilever high on low carbs Down Under

10/04/2004

Despite talk of an impending downturn in consumer clamor for low-carb products, Unilever last week introduced 23 lines of such products into Australian supermarkets, according to an article in The Australian.

Hedging its bet—this is reported to be the biggest launch in Unilever’s history—the firm is superimposing its new Carb Options brand onto some of its existing soup, sauce, pasta and cereal lines. In addition, the new products were developed in Australia for Australian tastes.

Although the U.S. firm Atkins Nutritionals has been feeling the burn of growing competition and shrinking consumer demand for low-carb products, Unilever’s Australasian chairman Peter Slator asserted, "If our estimates are correct, we would hope to see the [low-carb] market grow to the tune of $50 million in the next two years."