China's Sanlu launches "space race" with Seventh Astro Milk Formula

Shijiazhuang Sanlu Drink Co., Ltd. recently introduced its Seventh Astro-milk formula into China's market.

The company, based in Hebei province, was ranked first in terms of milk powder sales in 2004 by China's National Bureau of Statistics and is one of the big six dairy producers in China.

The company said that the product was developed in conjunction with the China Astronaut Centre and has been ongoing for several years. It is currently the only high value-added dairy product of the company.

Experts with the Chinese Nutrition Society revealed that the product contains maltitol, collagen and other healthy raw materials that is not present in normal milk.

Insiders said that the seventh astro milk formula is used to improve the astronauts' physical health in order to successfully complete the Shenzhou-7 space mission that will take place in October. The mission would for the first time involve a space-walk by China's astronaut. The company said the milk's formula name was derived from the seventh milk formula accumulated from five years of research and was coincidentally the same as the mission's name.

Until recently, Sanlu rival Mengniu has been advertising aggressively on its campaigns, touting Mengniu milk as "the Astronaut's milk" after China launched its first astronaut into space. 

A bid by New Zealand's Fonterra, the world's largest dairy exporter, to buy 43 percent of Sanlu was approved by the Chinese government in April. Fonterra agreed to buy the stake in Sanlu for EUR 91.4 million in December last year.