Lactoferrin is a crucial and scarce resource for the dairy industry
Yili’s subsidiary Westland Milk Products recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of its NZD 70 million ($42.58 million) lactoferrin plant at Hokitika, New Zealand. The ceremony was attended by New Zealand’s Trade, Export and Agriculture Minister and MP for West-Coast Tasman, Damien O’Connor; Director-General of the Ministry for Primary Industries, Ray Smith; Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiao Long; and Chinese Consul-General in Christchurch, He Ying.
The investment will enable Yili to rank amongst the top three leading global companies in the lactoferrin category, with a market share of approximately 10 per cent. The investment also signals China-based Yili’s commitment to take the global lead in the high-value bioactive dairy ingredients sector.
Lactoferrin, a multifunctional natural protein, offers immune benefits as well as antibacterial and antioxidant functions and is now widely used in food, pharmaceutical products and in other industries. As a consumer-oriented enterprise, Yili has anticipated consumers’ needs for products such as lactoferrin and is determined to bring more nutritious and healthy products to global markets. The company has invested considerable resources in R&D to tackle lactoferrin extraction challenges.
