Blue Band manufacturer, Upfield kicked off the Good Breakfast Campaign under the Blue Band Brand which is in its 3rd year since it was launched 3 years ago. Blue Band continues to fulfil its commitment to tackle the serious issue of poor nutrition by driving education around the importance of a good breakfast for school going children in Kenya.
A white paper written by experts in 2016 highlighted the link between a nutritious breakfast and better long-term school performance in children. A nutritious breakfast gives children the essential energy and nutrients they need to grow, develop and reach their full potential at school and in their adult life. According to UNICEF, Vitamin and mineral deficiencies have been estimated to cost Sub-Saharan countries more than $2.3 billion every year in lost productivity.
“The Good Breakfast Campaign” seeks to drive behavior change by creating awareness on the importance of a nutritious breakfast. Blue Band will run the Good Breakfast Campaign through a schools’ program across several schools, reaching 2 million school children directly. With the multiplier effect using an average of 3 children per home, Blue Band is expected to reach a minimum of 6 million children both directly and indirectly with the Good Breakfast Campaign.
Speaking during the campaign kickoff, Head of Regulatory Affairs & Nutrition for Africa at Upfield, Ms. Phyllis Obote said, “Our social mission is to make a nutritious breakfast an everyday reality for half a billion school children in Africa for healthier lives and better school performance by making a nutritious breakfast at home available, affordable and desirable”.
A research study done by TNS revealed the important role of breakfast in ensuring adequate nutrient intake in children and a daily nutritious breakfast may contribute to longer term healthy growth and development of children. For instance, just 2 slices of bread spread with Blue Band each day already fulfills 1/3 of kids’ daily need for Omega 3 & 6 to have a healthy growth and development. Several dietary guidelines in the world define a good breakfast as one that provides 15-25% of daily requirements on energy and micronutrients.
“We are excited to embark on this year’s Good Breakfast Campaign, a campaign that will not only impart children with important knowledge on good breakfast, but also contribute to the government’s efforts to improve the nutritional status of Kenyans,” noted Ms. Obote.
Ms. Obote further urged Kenyan consumers to join in the campaign by buying the special 500gm pack which would see Blue Band donate a good breakfast to a needy child for every pack bought.
As part of the campaign, Blue Band will also be engaging with moms in order to empower them with creative ideas and exciting recipes for making a good breakfast at home with simple ingredients that are easily available. Blue Band understands that it is every mom’s desire to give the best to their children in order to set them up for success and this partnership with them will provide useful support and reassure them that they are doing an amazing job.
Blue Band is used for spreading on bread or topping up on porridge and for a complete breakfast with fruit, and tea with milk, this will provide children with the nutrients they need to perform better in school and in life.
Blue Band is made of vegetable oils, rapeseed oil, water, sat, skimmed milk, emulsifier, preservatives, vitamins. It is fortified with 6 important vitamins vital for one’s development: –
- Vitamin A – For vision and a healthy immune system
- Vitamin D – For growth and development of bones and teeth in children
- Vitamin B6 & B12 – Helps convert food into energy
- Niacin – Assists in producing blood and body cells
- Folic Acid – Essential for development of unborn babies
Canola oil is also a key ingredient – a natural vegetable source of Omega 3 and 6 that is obtained from rapeseed grown in Kenya.
