Arla Foods Ingredients touts benefits of milk fat globule membrane for infant and adult nutrition

Arla Foods Ingredients’ newly launched Whey360 campaign is raising awareness of the benefits of its milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) beyond the infant formula category. MFGM’s non-novel food status in the EU was confirmed this month.

This decision, made by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, applies across the EU market and allows MFGM to be included in products for both infants and adults.

Arla Foods Ingredients’ MFGM ingredients contain whey protein, complex milk lipids (phospholipids and omega-3 fatty acids), and other nutrients. Naturally found in breast milk, MFGM’s benefits for early life nutrition are well documented.

Arla Foods Ingredients was the first company to offer MFGM for the global formula market, and it is now working to raise awareness that it offers multiple benefits in other categories.

“We’ve worked with MFGM in early life nutrition for nearly two decades. It offers a powerful synergy between high-quality whey protein, complex milk lipids, vitamins, and other micronutrients,” says Henrik Jacob Hjortshøj, head of sales development, Functional Nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients.

“It’s one of the most clinically documented ingredients in our infant nutrition portfolio, and increasingly, research is demonstrating benefits in other categories too.”

“The goal of this campaign is to communicate the huge potential that MFGM offers to create innovative functional nutrition products targeting adults, toddlers, and older children. It’s truly a multinutrient for every stage of life.”

Broad-spectrum nutrition

Along with being a complete source of essential amino acids and complex milk lipids, Arla Foods Ingredients’ MFGM ingredients are rich in vitamin B12, which addresses one of the biggest micronutrient deficiencies worldwide, and choline, which contributes to metabolic health.

The company underscores that 53% of adults globally are interested in functional foods and positions MFGM as a “multinutrient” that offers benefits at every life stage through its Whey360 campaign.

The supplier is piloting three new concepts demonstrating its potential in functional nutrition products for adults and children: a squeezable cheese, a kids’ ultra-high-temperature processed drink, and a high-protein drinking yogurt.

Additionally, it features three easy-to-implement recipes demonstrating how MFGM can help create nutrient-rich “mini-meals” for toddlers: a drinkable fruit yogurt with a straw, a squeezable smoothie, and an instant porridge mix.

Enabling on-pack claims 

The campaign also highlights the potential that MFGM offers for on-pack claims, which can include “high in protein,” “contains omega-3,” “high vitamin B12 content,” and “contains milk phospholipids.”

Arla Foods Ingredients positions MFGM as a “multinutrient” that offers benefits at every life stage (Image credit: Arla Foods Ingredients).Commenting on the decision on MFGM’s non-novel food status, Hjortshøj adds: “This is great news and a major boost to our mission to deliver powerful nutrition in partnership with our customers.”

“We’re delighted that we’re now able to provide them with clear documentation demonstrating that MFGM can be used in both food and infant nutrition applications, and hope that many more will start declaring it on product labels.”

“While this very welcome decision applies to the EU, it may also open doors in other markets and help raise consumer awareness of the benefits of MFGM globally.”

Last month, Arla Foods Ingredients entered a contract manufacturing agreement with Valley Queen, a South Dakota-based dairy processor, to significantly increase its production capacity for protein-enriched dairy ingredients in the US. 

In other recent activities, Arla Foods Ingredients launched a toolbox to help South American food brands create indulgent, high-protein desserts. The company highlights Latin America accounted for 10% of global dessert launches in 2024, with retail sales reaching US$12.7 billion. In Brazil, the region’s largest market, value growth in the sector is rising by 9% CAGR.