Blue Band, Rama

Healthy growth & development

Our margarine is made from high quality vegetable oils, so it is an important source of essential fats and vitamins A, D and E for which there are not many other dietary sources. A thin layer of spread on bread every day makes a big contribution to the healthy growth and development of the whole family.

Growing children need to spread margarine

Recent international nutrition guidelines from WHO recognise the fact that people should minimise bad fats and consume sufficient good fats to stay fit and healthy. Experts also agree that for growing children, spreading soft margarine on bread is much better than spreading butter – which is full of saturated fat – and better than not spreading anything at all.

The right breakfast

Eating a nutritious breakfast in the morning with the right amount and the right kind of nutrients has been proven to enhance children’s ability to concentrate at school. A breakfast consisting of a slice of bread, spread with low-fat margarine plus a glass of low-fat milk is more balanced – and healthier – than bread with butter or sweetened cereals with milk or breakfast snacks.

Improving children's nutrition around the world

Unilever has established a global partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) with the shared aim of improving children’s nutrition around the world. Blue Band/Rama/Country Crock/Doriana were the first brands to bring this partnership to life. In 2008, the partnership helped the WFP provide 76 000 children in Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Colombia, Kenya and Ghana with daily school meals and lay the basis for a better future.

World-renowned

Unilever is the world's leading margarine manufacturer. Through our knowledge of nutrition science we have remained at the forefront of product development, bringing healthy and convenient spreads to consumers around the world.

Did you know?

• Our margarine helps you to grow well and live well!
• It's an important daily source of essential fats and vitamins A, D and E that are necessary for healthy growth and development, both for children and adults
• More than 90% of medical specialists dealing with children say that children need fat in their diet for healthy growth and development
• Essential fats are building blocks for the body, but can’t be made by the body and must come from the diet. Margarine is a good source of essential fats
• Dutch research has shown that the daily intake of polyunsaturated fat in children at 18 months is only half the amount that is recommended by nutritionists
• One in five Europeans admits they do not eat a healthy diet, and one in ten still thinks that saturated fat is good. Yet eating habits, physical growth and weight problems, including obesity, are the top three issues that parents raise when they see medical specialists
• Children double their size within four years, and almost triple their size by their 10th birthday, assuming they eat well. Nearly nine out of every ten primary school teachers interviewed for a recent study say that bad eating habits affects not only healthy growth and development, but also performance at school        

Innovations

We have developed a wide range of margarines that offer additional nutritional benefits from ingredients such as calcium, soya, yoghurt and olive oil. It is important to put our products within the reach of lower-income consumers, as in Africa, and we have developed an affordable single-sachet of our nutritious Blue Band spread, that keeps the product fresh even in a hot climate. Our spreads are also available at different fat levels. We also offer a range of cooking products, from liquid margarines to vegetable-based creams.

Key facts

• Millions of people in over 65 countries consume Blue Band, Rama, Country Crock and Doriana products

• Our major brand names are Blue Band, Bonella, County Crock, Doriana, Dorina, Imperial, La Perfecta, Maizena, Milda, Mirasol, Planta, Planta Fin, Primavera, Rama, Sana, Stork, Tulipan and Vitam.          

From our range