‘They know NZ products’

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Fonterra is making inroads into lucrative markets across the world. File photo.
Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

Fonterra is making big inroads into the fast-growing protein-enriched food and beverage industry in Europe and North America, says the dairy cooperative.

New Zealand’s high protein milk powder was sought after for its 85 percent protein content, and for the ability to verify the sustainability of the product from source, according to Atlantic division president Richard Allen said

“We are really leveraging the hard work that our farmers have put in, to position them as the most sustainable source of dairy globally,” Allen said.

“Market demand for value-added ingredients has held up well and we are seeing this play out through strong demand for our low-carbon dairy.”

He said Fonterra’s investment in research and development was paying off for the company.

“We’ve led the world in terms of some of the R&D and innovation over a number of years. And we’re the preferred supplier of many of these these large global multinational food businesses.”

New Zealand dairy products were being used in a wide range of protein enriched foods, from those targeting athletes willing to forgo taste for results to snacking foods, meal replacement beverages and a range of confectionary products and lifestyle drinks.

“You no longer kind of feel like eating cardboard, you know, probably 20 years ago high protein products were very much focused on those who were targeting protein and they were willing to sacrifice that eating experience.”

Allen said demand for protein enriched foods in Europe was also growing, particularly in Britain, where Fonterra was benefiting from the recently established free trade agreement, with cheddar from its Hautapu and Stirling sites making up the bulk of the sales.

“We’ll probably get to around 10,000 tonnes of business in the first year,” he said

“They know New Zealand products. There’s a significant opportunity to target premium retail and really crank-up those sustainability credentials that we know we lead the world in terms of our milk.”