New dry blend lactose offers capacity boost to infant formula producers

Arla Foods Ingredients has introduced a premium-quality lactose suitable for dry blends, enabling infant formula manufacturers to increase their output dramatically without compromising safety or requiring significant capital investment.

At present, lactose is usually supplied and used in wet blends that also contain the other key ingredients in infant formula, such as proteins, fats, skim milk powder, vitamins and minerals. These wet blends are heat-treated and spray dried ready for packaging.

However, Arla Foods Ingredients’ new dry blend lactose can be introduced to the manufacturing process after heat treatment and drying has taken place, when it can simply be combined with the spray-dried wet blend ingredients and packaged. This leaves significantly more space available for the other ingredients during the wet blend stage, making it possible to increase capacity by up to 25% on existing production lines.

Luis Cubel, Sales Director for Arla Foods Ingredients’ Permeate & Lactose Business, said: “Our dry blend lactose makes it possible for infant formula producers to increase output and reduce costs without compromising food safety. In addition, it is a CO2-neutral way to achieve this, ensuring companies can maintain their sustainability credentials while boosting their bottom line.”

The premium-quality lactose is made by Arla Foods Ingredients in state-of-the-art production facilities that fulfill the strictest international standards for infant formula. The company is currently expanding its lactose production capacity to guarantee steady supplies. It is making significant investment in new facilities in Denmark and Germany that will increase annual lactose volumes from 35,000 tonnes to 135,000 tonnes, of which more than two thirds will be lactose suitable for dry blends.

Arla Foods Ingredients is launching the new lactose on Stand 8C01 at Food Ingredients Europe, which takes place in Frankfurt from 19-21 November 2013.