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Dairy Investing in Derivatives

No longer is it enough to just produce dairy products – it turns out that the whey offshoots are as valuable as the original milk itself, and with processing, can turn into a new revenue stream. The industry has changed dramatically over the last several years, and any dairy processors worth their milk are looking […]

No longer is it enough to just produce dairy products – it turns out that the whey offshoots are as valuable as the original milk itself, and with processing, can turn into a new revenue stream. The industry has changed dramatically over the last several years, and any dairy processors worth their milk are looking at either installing a dryer, or contracting out so that their milk can be further processed. Among the highlights of Food Ingredients Europe (19-21 November, Frankfurt) will be the investment in innovative research being made by dairy processors in dairy derivatives.

Among the organisations represented at Fi Europe will be Germany’s DMK. The dairy’s multi-million euro investment in research features its Milk Innovation Centre in Zeven, north Germany, which is backed by an international network of scientists. The system developed by DMK brings in external experts to join special teams not only to help solve problems but also to develop new products and packaging solutions within the dairy sector.

Under the title “No limits in dairy”, the teams, which also include DMK’s own science and technology experts, are briefed to examine the possibilities for new products in the food sector but also for specialised nutrition ingredients for food processing worldwide. All research and development is carried out in close cooperation with customers, stresses DMK. One of the main aspects of work currently being undertaken at the Milk Innovation Center is development of new whey derivates.

Meanwhile, Arla Foods is debuting a new protein water beverage concept at the show. Protein water is a prototype product created by Arla Foods Ingredients to demonstrate the potential for incorporating high quality whey protein isolate into a beverage with wide consumer appeal. Each 500ml bottle of protein water contains 25% of the RDA of protein – sufficient to make a nutrition claim on the label, and the water can be enhanced with vitamins and minerals to capture the opportunity to develop a nutritious drink.

Overall, it’s an exciting time for dairy processors.