Over the past couple of years, Epi Ingredients – the dry ingredients division of dairy cooperative Laïta and one of the world’s dairy ingredients experts – has invested more than 80m€ in the construction of a state-of-the-art drying tower dedicated to infant nutrition. “The wait is almost over! We should see the unit’s first powders on the market by the end of the year”, shares Mathieu Lucot, Marketing Manager at Epi Ingredients.
“Since the company’s complete overhaul in 2015, Epi Ingredients’ clear focus has been to develop a portfolio of solutions designed to enhance the value of the raw milk gathered from our farms and the substantial investments made to strengthen our position in the nutrition sector are instrumental to the success of this value-creation strategy”, he adds. Beyond the ingredients themselves, the new facility will also be offering specific packaging capabilities such as directly filling ready-to-market 400 g and 900 g cans, making Epi Ingredients a great partner for companies who wish to launch their own brand of infant products and are looking for a reliable long-term collaboration.
Infant nutrition is one of the most important factors, not only influencing immediate child growth and development, but also setting the stage for health outcomes later in life. When breastfeeding is not an option, it is very important that the infant formula used be designed to mimic breast milk as closely as possible to properly fulfill the nutritional needs of the child. Considering the great disparities observed between breast milk and cow’s milk, formulators need to overcome many hurdles in order to create nutritionally complete infant products matching the mandatory guidelines. With a dedicated team of experts on staff, Epi Ingredients strives to alleviate the complexity of this process by offering an array of solutions designed to help their customers significantly reduce their time-to-market while developing successful regulatory compliant and nutritionally complete products for infants and toddlers. Their solutions range from bulk ingredients to ready-to-market finished products, both in dry and liquid formats. For those interested, a variety of products will be highlighted at the show:
- Stage 1 to Stage 3 baby formulas (standard and premium)
- Infant liquid milk pre-packaged in a ready-to-use 100ml baby bottle
- Food for Special Medical Purpose (FSMP) such as pediatric drinks
- Baby food products and more
In addition, the company will be presenting one of its flagship ingredients for this market: highly demineralized whey, which is one of the most commonly used ingredients in infant and follow-on formula. 70 to 90% demineralized whey is in fact perfectly adapted to infant nutrition, allowing the protein ratio of the finished formula to be adjusted to better mimic breast milk. It also offers the possibility of adjusting the mineral content in each individual component thanks to the low levels of naturally-occurring minerals. Extremely high standards associated with very short processing times, as low as 48 hours “farm-to-powder”, and an exclusive and perfectly mastered manufacturing process make it possible for Epi Ingredients to offer highly heat-stable infant-grade demineralized whey powder, which is unique on the market. This exclusive feature allows higher usage rates in applications and represent tremendous opportunities for industrials. Furthermore, having complete control over the entire value chain, Epi Ingredients can ensure a sustainable supply of demineralized whey powder of the highest quality with a very consistent mineral content between batches. Although mainly used in the infant sector, highly demineralized whey can be a great fit for other nutrition segments, such as senior or sports nutrition, where adjusting the nutrient content can provide specific health benefits.
For more information on the company’s infant nutrition offerings, visit Epi Ingredients in Dubai: Hall 1, stand #D1-24 (February 26th- March 2nd)
