Philippine VCO Capsules Maker Looks to Singapore for Market Expansion

Philippine company Growrich Manufacturing is planning to expand the market for its virgin coconut oil (VCO) capsules due to growing demand for immune-health supplements, and rising consumer interest driven by government-backed studies into the ingredient.  Singapore has been identified as one of the potential markets for expansion.  The VCO hard gel capsules, also sold under the brand Growrich, has been selling in the domestic Filipino market for over the past decade.  

VCO gained widespread attention more recently in the Philippines as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) announced its plan to study VCO for reducing symptoms of COVID-19.  As soon as the news was announced, sales of the VCO capsules had doubled, said Salutare Inc, the exclusive distributor of the product.  This is despite the fact the planned study was to assess the impact of VCO in liquid form, not capsules.  At the conclusion of the study, it was found that suspected COVID-19 patients administered with VCO had reduced symptoms, as well as a faster recovery phase as compared to those who did not take VCO. 

 As a supplement, Growrich VCO capsules do not make any therapeutic claims on its product labelling. Most of the messaging behind the benefits of VCO, such as anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and general immune booster claims are available via online marketing on Facebook, Instagram, as well as radio, newspapers advertorials.  A daily dosage of one to two capsules per day is recommended.  The product is mainly sold via pharmacies, including local pharmacy chain Mercury Drug and regional retailers such as Watsons.  It is also available online via Shopee and Lazada.