From National University of Singapore’s auditorium to Philippine store shelves: How China’s Feihe wins the trust of Filipino Mothers

MANILA, Philippines — In a shopping mall in Cebu, a young Filipino mother stands before a shelf of infant formula, carefully reading the ingredient list on a can labeled AceKid Activegro. She notices that it contains no added sucrose or maltodextrin —ingredients that are drawing increasing scrutiny from parents in the Philippines for their potential links to tooth decay, digestive issues and even diabetes in children.

Just a few hours’ flight away, in an auditorium at the National University of Singapore (NUS), some of the world’s leading neuroscientists are discussing the frontiers of life sciences.

Among the participants are members of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal Nature Neuroscience. Feihe—the Chinese dairy company behind AceKid Activegro—is present as the only Chinese company at this high-level academic summit.

These two seemingly distant scenes are, in fact, closely connected. Together, they tell the story of how a Chinese company breaks into the Philippine market—not simply by exporting products, but by embedding itself in the global research ecosystem that defines those products.

From March 30 to 31, the “Bridging Minds—2026 Advances in Neurodevelopment and Mental Health” was held at NUS.

Jointly organized by the BCH-Feihe Pediatric Brain Development Initiative, the Neuroscience & Behavioural Disorders Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, the summit brought together scholars and experts from nearly 20 leading institutions worldwide, including Harvard, Yale, Tsinghua, Fudan and NUS.

Feihe Chairman Leng Youbin and Zhang Xuguang, dean of the Feihe Research Institute, delivered keynote speeches, outlining the company’s progress and leadership in neuroscience and life cycle nutrition research.

Why the Philippines: A strategic gateway to a 680-million-person market

The Philippines is Feihe’s first stop in its Southeast Asia expansion—and the choice is no coincidence.

With a population of over 110 million, it is the region’s second most populous country. Its youthful demographic profile and rapidly growing middle class make it one of the most dynamic growth markets for the global nutrition and health industry. As Filipino mothers become more informed about nutrition, they are shifting their focus beyond price to ingredients, formulations and scientific credibility.

As China’s largest infant formula producer, Feihe leverages a fully integrated supply chain and continuous technological innovation to ensure “from the pasture to reach the factory within just 2 hours,” preserving the milk’s natural active nutrients to the greatest extent possible.

In 2025, Feihe launched its AceKid Activegro pure fresh milk formula in the Philippines, bringing its “Fresh and Active Nutrition” standard to Southeast Asia. Sourced from the black soil of Northeast China, within the 47°N golden milk source belt, the product achieves seamless integration from milking to processing through its “2-hour ecosystem.”

AceKid Activegro uses a “One-Step Fresh Milk Processing”, with no added sucrose or maltodextrin. It is enriched with 14 vitamins, 7 minerals, as well as DHA, ARA, lutein, choline, and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), supporting children’s brain, eye, and digestive development.

Since its launch, AceKid Activegro has entered nearly 500 stores across the Philippines, covering 80% of high-end retail networks in major cities such as Cebu and Davao.

In the first quarter of 2026, AceKid Activegro’s estimated revenue in the Philippine market surged 275% year-on-year and 245% quarter-on-quarter, making it one of the fastest-growing foreign formula brands in the country over the past year.

Building on this initial success in the Philippine market, Feihe is accelerating its expansion across Southeast Asia. The AceKid Activegro has recently been approved for entry into Indonesia, becoming the first Chinese formula brand to gain market access there. Looking ahead, Feihe plans to introduce innovative products based on gut–brain axis research, delivering more precise nutritional solutions tailored to evolving consumer expectations in the region.

A global research network: Scientific assurance for Filipino mothers

Over the past decade, Feihe has built an extensive global research ecosystem, establishing deep partnerships with more than 40 research institutions across seven countries. These collaborations span cutting-edge fields including neuroscience, breast milk research, ingredient innovation, and clinical studies.

Feihe’s partnership with Harvard Medical School dates back to 2014, when the two jointly established the Feihe–BIDMC Nutrition Laboratory at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) of Harvard Medical School.

In 2023, they launched the BCH-Feihe Pediatric Brain Development Initiative, led by renowned experts from Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, to advance systematic research into the impact of genetics, nutrition, and environment on infant brain development and cognition. This year’s summit in Singapore represents a continuation and elevation of this partnership.

In North America, Feihe has brought a fully integrated supply chain model and standards from China to developed markets, establishing Canada’s first—and currently only—infant formula production facility. Since commencing operations in 2024, the Canadian facility has supplied infant formula to more than 1,600 major retailers across North America, offering high-quality nutritional choices to local families underpinned by Chinese standards.

From the academic halls of NUS to supermarket shelves in the Philippines, from expert exchanges in Singapore to the purchasing decisions of mothers in Mindanao, Feihe’s story in the Philippines continues to unfold. For Filipino mothers, it means one more choice on the shelf—one backed by the world’s leading scientific expertise and thoughtfully tailored to local needs.

Editor’s Note: This press release is sponsored by Feihe. It is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.