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Dive Brief:

• Fonterra, a New Zealand-based dairy cooperative, joined forces with natural ingredient manufacturer Superbrewed Food to advance sustainable food production, the two companies said.

• The partnership will combine Superbrewed’s biomass protein platform with Fonterra’s dairy processing, ingredients and applications technology to develop a nutrient-rich, functional biomass protein.

• The collaboration is meant to address the growing demand among consumers for protein and will build upon Superbrewed’s formerly launched and patented a postbiotic cultured protein.

Dive Insight:

Postbiotics have gained major traction in recent years in the food and beverage industry, with a slew of consumer products adding them to ingredient lists with promises of increased gut health.

Through ingredient evaluations, Fonterra was able to determine the function and nutrition of postbiotic cultured protein that can complement dairy ingredients in food applications. And Superbrewed Foods demonstrated how its fermentation platform is able to adapt to ferment other inputs. 

The multi-year partnership seeks to develop new biomass protein solutions based on the fermentation of multiple feedstocks including Fonterra’s lactose permeate — which is produced during dairy processing — with the goal of adding value to the lactose by converting it to sustainable protein. 

“Partnering with Superbrewed Foods is a fantastic opportunity. Their cutting-edge technology aligns with our mission to provide sustainable nutritional solutions to the world and respond to the global demand for protein solutions thereby creating more value from milk for our farmers,” said Chris Ireland, general manager of innovation partnerships at Fonterra. 

Superbrewed Food has been looking to expand its reach in the U.S. market. In March, the company got the green light from the Food and Drug Administration for its postbiotic cultured protein, allowing it to be adopted by food and beverage companies in the dairy and dairy alternatives spaces.

The company also received a U.S. patent for its postbiotic protein, granting it 18 years of market exclusivity for the production, use and commercialization of all forms of bacterial-biomass proteins.

“We are excited to be partnering with a company of Fonterra’s stature, as it recognizes the value in bringing postbiotic cultured protein to market, and is a pivotal step towards expanding our offerings of biomass ingredients that further contribute to sustainable food production,” said Superbrewed Food CEO Byran Tracy in a statement.

The protein ingredients market is forecast to reach nearly $86 billion by 2028, a 41% increase from last year, according to a report from Markets and Markets, with the rise of consumer awareness in nutrition driving demand.