Fonterra moves into medical
Fonterra has set up a new medical nutrition and ‘‘healthy ageing’’ division and launched what it describes as the world’s first fastacting milk protein.
The potential prize is a slice of the $25 billion global medical nutrition market.
Chief operating officer for the New Zealand Milk Products division, Kelvin Wickham, said Fonterra had been active in the field for many years, but now wanted to strengthen its focus.
It wanted to offer products to a broad range of people, from athletes and the middle aged, to the elderly and ill.
Wickham said the dairy giant had set up a ‘‘small dedicated nutrition team’’ working out of its Amsterdam office that was focusing on developing products.
Researchers had created whey protein concentrate - used in sports drinks - back in the 1970s, but Fonterra had now managed to make a milk protein concentrate which tasted good, unlike whey protein.
‘‘We’ve been focused on how you make that [milk protein] more available for people to digest more easily, so you can stir it into cold water or put it into a protein bar.
‘‘It still has the right texture and a good flavour. That’s always been the tricky thing, getting the good flavour and the functionality,’’ Wickham said.
The fast-acting milk protein was not yet available in New Zealand but was launched at two trade shows last week, one in Europe and the other in Asia.
Fonterra was both providing the protein in powder form but was also trialling it with combinations of Anchor product.
It was important that there was scientific backing to support claims made for the products, which is where researchers from Auckland University’s Liggins Institute have come in.
Led by Professor David Cameron-Smith, over the past five years the researchers have helped develop the fast-acting milk protein.
‘‘The scientific evidence is clearly accumulating, we now have huge evidence diet is very important, and there is significant value in supplemental dairy protein to provide an anabolic boost.’’
Cameron-Smith said the ‘‘slippery slide’’ for people began about the age of 50. ‘‘Up to the point of the research with Fonterra, everyone had focused on the aged, but by then multiple things have started to go wrong. The group that really needs to start to think about these things, about how to maintain their physical activity and be fit, are younger.’’
Rather than taking drugs, people wanted to prevent illness through good nutrition.
‘‘Clearly there’s an opportunity to design lifestyle products, such as protein-added yoghurt or milk, and specialty sports recovery products.
‘‘The real trick for Fonterra has been in developing tasty dairy proteins. Taste wins hands down, on top of that you’ve got the functionality of being able to put it in put it into bars or drinks,’’ Cameron Smith said.