The Muscle Mag
FrieslandCampina Ingredients is a major player in bovine lactoferrin, an ingredient with multiple benefits for babies including aiding in iron absorption and acting as an antimicrobial and antiviral agent. This makes it a popular choice in premium infant formula products.
In cow’s milk, lactoferrin is present in small amounts, as little as 0.1mg/ml. In contrast, human milk contains around 1.4mg/ml of lactoferrin.
The use of precision fermentation technology has the potential to significantly increase lactoferrin supply. FrieslandCampina Ingredients, a Dutch dairy ingredients supplier, has collaborated with US biotech company Triplebar to achieve this breakthrough. The partnership aims to bring a cost-effective approach to scaling up production of precision fermentation-derived lactoferrin for the market.
The lactoferrin market potential
Lactoferrin, as an ingredient, can be quite expensive, ranging from $300-$3,000 per kg. Despite this, the demand is high, with market estimates projecting it to exceed $1bn by the end of the decade.
Increased supply with a lower environmental footprint
FrieslandCampina Ingredients has previous experience with precision fermentation technology through a collaboration with Glycosyn to produce human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) since 2016. However, their partnership with Triplebar marks their entry into precision fermentation-derived specialty proteins, specifically lactoferrin.
Precision fermentation offers the potential to produce lactoferrin in quantities that were previously unattainable through traditional methods. This method of production is also more environmentally sustainable as it reduces the impact on milk supply, water supply, and land use compared to traditional methods.
Triplebar CEO Maria Cho sees this as a significant development in alternative protein production that supports human health and nutrition. The partnership with FrieslandCampina Ingredients will enable them to bring this valuable protein to market at a larger scale.
What will Triplebar and FrieslandCampina Ingredients bring to the partnership?
Precision fermentation allows the manipulation of microorganisms to produce complex molecules like lactoferrin.
Triplebar, based in California, has developed a platform that can analyze cell lines much faster than conventional methods. This enables them to discover and develop products with specific characteristics, such as lactoferrin in this case.
FrieslandCampina Ingredients will leverage its expertise in protein, processing, and technology to co-create alternative protein solutions for specialized nutrition. The company will also play a role in commercializing the ingredient to bring it to market.
Precision fermentation is a key part of FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ strategy, and they have a team of experts dedicated to its production and commercialization.
Are parents open to feeding their babies precision fermentation-derived dairy?
The infant formula market is highly regulated due to the critical role it plays in babies’ nutrition during their growth and development stages.
FrieslandCampina is confident that parents will be open to feeding their babies precision fermentation-derived dairy products. Research indicates that consumers, including future Gen Z parents, are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their food choices.
A recent consumer study by FrieslandCampina Ingredients showed that a significant portion of respondents would buy products containing ingredients produced through precision fermentation, indicating a potential strong market for these products.
Global consumer perceptions research by the supplier also revealed a willingness among UK and US respondents to purchase products containing precision fermentation-derived proteins.
