Fonterra expands capacity in high-value lactoferrin

 

Fonterra's new $11 million upgrade of its lactoferrin plant in Hautapu, New Zealand, is now running at full volume, and will meet the worldwide demand for the product affectionately known as 'pink gold'.

The plant takes 10,000 litres of milk and uses sophisticated technology to make one kilogramme of lactoferrin, a high-value ingredient that Fonterra has recently doubled its capacity to produce.

"While we're seeing strong growth in demand for lactoferrin across a number of our key markets, the fact that we measure growth for this product in kilograms rather than in tonnes gives an idea as to the potency and value of lactoferrin," said Robert Spurway, the managing director of Fonterra's global operations. "It really is the 'icing on the cake' for Fonterra, as it can be extracted out of skimmed milk or whey, without impacting the use of that milk in other dairy products."

Extracting this specialised protein from milk is a feat few dairy manufacturers can do, due to the investment needed in both capital as well as research and development, Spurway added.

"Our ability to create value through the production of high quality lactoferrin is largely down to the work of our team at the Fonterra Research and Development Centre. For more than a decade, they have been honing our processes and helping to improve our cost and speed of production, as well as the overall quality of the end product."

Lactoferrin is a naturally occurring iron-binding protein found in milk and is in high demand, particularly in Asia, for a wide range of nutritional applications from infant formula to health foods and yoghurts.

According to Fonterra's chief science and technology officer, Dr Jeremy Hill, demand for lactoferrin is spurred by research showing the diverse biological functions of the protein.

"Lactoferrin is present in human milk in high proportions, and breast-fed infants will consume up to three grams a day during their first week of life. This abundance of lactoferrin in human milk is considered to be an indication of its importance in infant nutrition," Dr Hill said.

"Because of this, our customers have invested in extensive research and trials on the benefits of lactoferrin particularly to the immune system, given its strong anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties."