Brazil greenlights Arla Foods Ingredients’ Lacprodan milk fat globule membrane for F&B

Brazilian authorities have approved Arla Foods Ingredients’ Lacprodan MFGM-10 for use in food and beverage products where whey protein concentrate is permitted. Occurring naturally in breast milk, milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is most commonly used in infant formulas, but offers additional benefits for older children and adults, notes the supplier.

Lacprodan MFGM-10 is part of Arla Foods Ingredients’ range of MFGM products, blending whey protein with complex milk lipids and other nutrients. It offers formulators greater flexibility to produce more recipes from one base powder.

Following the approval issued by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply, manufacturers can include Lacprodan MFGM-10 in ingredient lists as “whey protein concentrate enriched with milk fat globule membrane.”

The move potentially opens the door for other MFGM ingredients, such as Nutrilac MFGM, to be registered under the same designation.

“This is a major milestone in our long-term ambition to bring the benefits of our MFGM ingredients to the increasingly important Brazilian market,” says Camila Oshima, regulatory specialist at Arla Foods Ingredients.

“As well as being a major benefit to manufacturers of conventional food and beverage products containing whey protein, it further demonstrates that MFGM is safe and is an important first step toward approval in infant formula and other health products.”

In Brazil, MFGM still may not be applied in categories such as supplements, infant formula, or follow-on formula, but this may be a future possibility.Expanding food approvals

In Brazil, MFGM still may not be applied in categories such as supplements, infant formula, or follow-on formula, which are overseen by Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, the country’s health regulatory agency. Arla Foods Ingredients points to this potential for the future.

The Brazil announcement follows two other major regulatory developments for the company this year.

In April, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration confirmed that MFGM is not classified as a novel food in the EU, allowing it to be declared on products for both infants and adults. In July, MFGM was approved for use in infant formula products in Australia.

At the recently concluded Food ingredients Europe industry event in Paris, France, Arla Foods Ingredients showcased its innovations for MFGM beyond infant formula, spotlighting Nutrilac MFGM in functional products, such as squeezable cheese, drinking yogurt, and a kids’ ultra-high temperature drink.