General manager Wallapa Narunatvanich said the first new product, a vitamin complex, was launched in the first quarter.

The second, called Personalized Protein Powder, was launched yesterday and a third, as yet unnamed, will be launched in the third quarter.

Personalized Protein Powder (PPP) is a fat-free protein supplement for hunger control and to help build and maintain lean muscle mass.

Wallapa said PPP could be consumed by anyone, regardless of whether they exercise regularly. Consumers will have to read the "Lean Protein Estimator" in the pack to calculate how much they should take per day.

While declining to reveal Herbalife's marketing budget for this year, Wallapa said that

as well as conventional advertis-ing, the company planned road shows to provide information on PPP as well as providing free samples.

Wallapa said that last year, Herbalife had achieved 30-per-cent sales growth, which was well beyond its target.

Food supplements contributed 90 per cent, and the rest came from personal-care products.

Herbalife's global sales last year were US$3 billion (Bt105 billion), she added.

Wallapa said the current economic slowdown had not affected the company's performance because people have become more health-conscious in terms of both exercising and consuming food supplements.

Wallapa cited Public Health Ministry information that indicated about 60,000 people in every province exercised on a regular basis.

She also quoted Euromonitor International as saying the dietary-supplement market last year increased 14 per cent to Bt4.8 billion.

Slimming products made up about 16 per cent of that figure.

Wallapa said that the dietary-supplement market was expected to grow 15 per cent this year.

Herbalife finished last year with 21,600 members. It expects membership to grow 10 per cent this year.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation