Finnish food group Raisio is launching a cholesterol-lowering powdered drink in China under its Benecol brand.

The rollout is being undertaken in partnership with Shenzhen Neptunus Group Co., a Chinese healthcare group with subsidiaries focused on health foods and retail among other activities. Raisio said that the move supports its aim to open new markets in partnership with licencing partners.

The Benecol powdered drink will be first sold at approximately 1,700 Nepstar stores, mainly in large cities of the east coast of China.

"The aim is to have Benecol powdered drink available in selected hospital stores and sales channels of health care professionals in six months," Raisio added. "In the long term, Neptunus will focus on significantly expanding its sales network."

"The Benecol product launch in China will strengthen Raisio's strategically important expansion into new growing markets of Asia…. We have long worked to enter the Chinese market and we are very pleased to be partnering with Neptunus, the company that is investing in Benecol products," said Olavi Erkinjuntti, Benecol sales director.

Raisio has worked to open new and emerging markets for Benecol products, particularly in Asia and South America. The latest launches were carried out in Brazil in November 2014 and in South Korea in February 2015.

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