Arla Foods develops new method that separates milk into its protein components

Photo © iStockphoto.com/ ValentynVolkov

Arla Foods Ingredients introduced a patented method, milk fractionation, that separates milk into its different protein components that enable scientists, nutritionists, and health professionals to develop specialized nutrient-specific foods for infant formulas, sports products, and medical nutrition. 

“The method has been several years in development, and I’m delighted to see what was once a vision become a commercial reality with the power to completely revolutionize targeted nutrition for vulnerable groups,” said Henrik Andersen, CEO of Arla Foods Ingredients, in a press release. “As science-based innovators we are driven to invent and reinvent our processes to ensure we have the best possible products available and continue to lead the way in whey.”

The separation of milk’s different proteins from whey previously relied on cheese-making, as whey is a byproduct of this process—this new technology bypasses this process. 

“Traditional cheese-making demands significant quantities of organic milk to produce the volumes of whey we require to meet demand, and now that we’re not reliant on this we can significantly increase production and, at the same time, offer parents and guardians greater clarity of the provenance of the organic infant milk formula because just a few Arla farms supply the milk to our factory in Videbaek,” Andersen said.

Arla Foods is currently using the new technology to manufacture the organic Baby&Me brand for Arla Foods and expects to launch its first organic private-label infant-formula solutions based on the technology in 2022.