Swiss health foods company Wander has launched a powdered calcium supplement on the home market under the Jemalt brand.
Jemalt Calcium plus is a powdered malt extract that can be mixed with milk, tea, coffee or muesli. The company suggests adults take 25g of the powder daily. This provides the recommended daily amounts (RDA) of calcium, magnesium and zinc, as well as two thirds of the RDA of vitamin D.
Other ingredients include malt extract, glucose syrup, cocoa powder, fructose, citric acid, yeast and vegetable fat. The product contains no milk or milk compounds.
Jemalt Calcium plus is targeted at young people during peak growth periods, for women during and after the menopause, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and people who drink little milk or consume less than 1800 calories daily.
The company claims that while the phosphorous needed for bone growth is plentiful in our daily diet, calcium and magnesium are only found in certain foods. Vitamin D is needed to absorb both minerals.
The product is currently available in pharmacies in 450g tins.
Wander is a subsidiary of Swiss chemicals group Novartis. Other products made by Wander include the Ovomaltine range recently bought by ABF from Novartis, as well as other brands such as Isostar energy drinks and health foods owned by the pharmaceutical group.