Milk component’s ability to help ease stress marketed

AUCKLAND: Fonterra is cashing in on the credentials of a milk component in helping to manage society’s growing stress levels with a major new product launch in the United States market.

NZMP, the businesstobusiness dairy ingredient solutions arm of Fonterra, is offering US consumers access to milk phospholipids, complex lipids in milk which it says have been clinically proven to help manage the effects of stress.

After 18 months of research and development by Fonterra’s New Zealand scientists, several ingredientbased applications have been developed for milk phospholipids, including nutritional bars, readytomix powders and supplements.

The launch signals Fonterra’s move into the mental wellness edible products market, NZMP citing a US survey which showed 67% of consumers reported they were concerned about their stress and anxiety levels in 2020.

A company spokesman said consumers wanted mental health and wellbeing solutions beyond traditional pills, and edible solutions to everyday stress were highly soughtafter in the US active lifestyle market.

Milk phospholipids are naturally present in milk.

In the US market, Fonterra was pushing the product’s attributes as nongenetically modified, animal growth hormonefree and made from grassfed New Zealand cow’s milk.

The company said milk phospholipids were high in beneficial whey protein which supported muscle build and recovery and low in lactose and sugar content.

‘‘We’re helping food brands tap into new consumers’ needs, such as mood enhancement and cognitive performance under stress — issues that have recently amplified due to the pandemic.’’

A ‘‘clean tasting’’ dairy solution, phospholipids were suitable for delivering functional food benefits to many food and beverage products, the company said.

NZMP, the businesstobusiness dairy ingredients brand of Fonterra which sells products to more than 100 countries, is a major tool in the cooperative’s ‘‘operational reset’’ as it recovers from losses in 2018 and 2019.

In China, the firm is focusing on new premium and specialised products — such as singleshot probiotics and immunitysupport consumer powders.

The strategy also pitches New Zealand milk as increasingly rare and valuable, and works on getting dairy ingredients into Chinese cuisine. — The New Zealand Herald

❛ We’re helping food brands tap into new consumers’ needs