Dairy Dialog podcast 156: Anuga, Arla Foods Ingredients

dDrei-Milch with vitamin D launched at Anuga

Sufficient vitamin D intake for everyone, better animal health and fair payment for farmers: dDrei-Milch wants to revolutionize the dairy industry with a sustainable concept.

The new product was launched at Anuga in Cologne, for the upcoming fall and winter seasons, when many people have low vitamin D levels.

DDrei Milchkristalle GmbH, founded in Germany in 2020, is the first manufacturer of cow's milk with a high amount of natural vitamin D. The concept is intended to benefit consumers, farmers and animals and help remedy vitamin D deficiency in Germany in a natural way. dDrei is based in Munich-Schwabing and Freising. The project manager is Sabine Obermeier, who is behind the dDrei concept out of personal conviction and who has years of experience in the lighting industry.

The dDrei-Milch is based on a patented process through which the milk contains up to 20 times more natural vitamin D (2μg/100ml) than conventional milk (0.08μg/100ml). A glass of 250ml of the new product contains the recommended daily amount for adults.

“Large amounts of native vitamin D can be enriched in milk. Housing conditions with high-quality feeding, free running and plenty of sunlight give dDrei milk a health benefit. In addition, good production conditions and a reasonable price help to generally improve conditions in the dairy industry,”​ said Obermeier.

The startup from Munich wants to revolutionize production methods and turn an entire system upside down.

“We want to initiate real change with our dDrei concept and stop the downward trend in the dairy industry. Through fair and sustainable production conditions, our concept can ensure more animal welfare and health, support farmers and at the same time help consumers. The health benefits of vitamin D on the immune system, teeth and muscles have been adequately documented and secured by health claims,”​ Obermeier said.

She added, “It cannot be that a liter of mineral water sometimes costs significantly more than a liter of milk. I saw that dairy farmers had to give up their businesses because of the circumstances to which they were subjected. So we have to break the system. Dairy farmers must be able to work economically again and experience appreciation for their work without struggling for financial survival at the subsistence level.” ​

Farmer Armin Högenauer, who was present at the launch, has been involved in the development of the dDrei guidelines since 2015 and advocates fair conditions in the dairy industry. In his business in the Landsberg am Lech region, Högenauer produces dDrei milk and said, "If we don't succeed in changing the system, the small-scale agriculture will disappear." ​

He receives a higher price for the milk and hopes more farmers will join the project.

The company said animals also benefit from the dDrei concept: Veterinary costs fall and the use of medication can be reduced. The cows are less sick and even give more milk.

The dairy start-up wants to reach a new generation of consumers, farmers and dairies in order to counter what it said is the pressure exerted by retailers at the expense of consumers, farmers and animals.

“We want to be 'Beyond Bio'. A lot has happened with the organic movement - people have become more aware of sustainability, animal and nature conservation. But organic products have also come under pressure due to the sale through discounters and have to submit to tough competition. This pushes the price spiral downwards and increasingly undermines the concept,”​ Obermeier said.

There is a new patent behind the dDrei concept. Sunlight or organic light in the barn that mimics sunlight, along with high-quality feed and good husbandry ensure up to 20 times more vitamin D in the milk. Through the new production process, vitamin D can be naturally enriched in animal milk in unprecedented concentrations - and the daily requirement of the vital vitamin can be covered without planning, just through a latte macchiato or milk added to muesli.

Arla Foods Ingredients launches pure BLG

Arla Foods Ingredients has become the first supplier with the capacity for commercial production of pure BLG (beta-lactoglobulin).

Launched at the new Arla Foods Ingredients Innovation Centre, Lacprodan BLG-100 is a pure BLG ingredient with a unique nutritional profile. Produced using a patented new separation technology, it contains 45% more leucine – the main muscle-building amino acid – than commercially available whey protein isolates.

The ingredient division of Arla Foods said the development of the new protein category presents opportunities for medical nutrition and sports nutrition manufacturers.

Consuming high-quality protein in sufficient amounts is a key nutritional need for patients and elderly people. The high leucine content of Lacprodan BLG-100 means it can support muscle protein synthesis to minimize the loss of muscle mass and sustain physical mobility.

Also, the company said it provides a more appealing taste than other commercially available proteins, which encourages compliance with nutritional regimes. It is also low in minerals, especially phosphorous, making it suitable for patients with kidney problems.

Lacprodan BLG-100 enables very high protein concentrations (as high as 23%) in very small ready-to-drink serving sizes. Its medical nutrition applications include clear ready-to-drink formats and translucent high-protein shots.

As a pure BLG, Lacprodan BLG-100 delivers all the nutritional power active consumers need. In addition to its naturally high leucine content, it provides 26% more essential amino acids (EAAs) and 40% more branched-chain amino acids than commercially available whey protein. It also offers better taste than leucine as a single amino acid.

As well as sports nutrition applications, Lacprodan BLG-100 is also suitable for clear ready-to-drink beverages and powder shakes.

Troels Nørgaard Laursen, director, health & performance nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, said, “BLG as a pure ingredient is a whole new protein category, and one with enormous benefits. Setting new standards for purity, Lacprodan BLG-100 has an unbeatable nutritional profile – it’s by far the most leucine-rich natural protein ingredient on the market. Not only that, but it also overcomes palatability and application issues, offering exciting opportunities in both the medical nutrition and sports nutrition sectors.”​

Arla Foods Ingredients has applied for Lacprodan BLG-100 to become authorized as a novel food in the EU.

Arla Foods Ingredients opens new Innovation Centre

Arla Foods Ingredients has officially opened its new Innovation Centre in Nr Vium, Denmark.

With the new facility, AFI said it is able to intensify its innovation efforts in its core markets in Europe, China and the Americas - and beyond.

The new center has a total size of 9,000m2, and will be home to up to 100 scientists and technicians, who will have access to laboratories for clinical trials, a pilot plant and office spaces. Here, they will cover all aspects of research and development within whey and milk – from advanced separation technology to improved functionality and shelf-life.

Niels Østergaard, VP R&D at AFI, said, “I am very proud and have been looking forward to this day when we open our new Arla Foods Ingredients Innovation Centre. It will deliver a huge boost to our research and development capabilities, and we’re incredibly excited about the possibilities it offers. Working with our scientific and industry partners, we’ll be able to undertake more research, embark on ambitious new projects, and innovate to tackle some of the world’s most urgent food and nutrition challenges.”​

The center is located next to Danmark Protein – AFI’s flagship production plant that produces whey protein concentrate and lactose products, including for infant nutrition. The location is key for success, AFI said, as it closes the gap between innovation and full scale production.

Østergaard said, “It was vital for us for the Innovation Centre to be at the heart of our supply chain. This is the closest to the highest quality raw materials that it could possibly be, enabling us to fine-tune ideas and scale them up in one quick and streamlined process. This is truly living up to our purpose of delivering the wonders of whey.”​

The facility is also designed to create synergies between university researchers, PhD students and industry professionals. Partners will include academic institutions in Denmark (like the Copenhagen and Aarhus universities) and overseas (including UC Davis), as well as technology suppliers and AFI’s customers in the food and nutrition industries.

AFI already has its first new innovation ready based on the Open Innovation concept that will be at the heart of the new Innovation Centre. AFI launches a new protein category, Lacprodan BLG-100. Produced using a patented new separation technology, the Lacprodan BLG-100 can be used to minimize the loss of muscle mass and help sustain physical mobility with patients and elderly.

The new Innovation Centre is next step for Arla’s innovation ambitions. In 2017, it opened its first innovation center in the heart of one of the world’s fastest growing food clusters in Aarhus, Denmark. The Arla Innovation Centre (AIC) is at the forefront of retail and foodservice product development, emerging production technologies and bridging the gap between scientists, customers and consumers while the new innovation centre focuses on specialized products and ingredients within dairy and whey.