European Tech Award to Valio Lactose Free Milk Technology

The German Agricultural Society (DLG) has granted a golden award to Valio Lactose Free Milk tech-nology. The award was granted on April 4th in Anuga Food Tech in Cologne. Golden awards are granted for products with added new functions or the use of a new concept, resulting in significant process improvements.

Valio lactose free milk process

Valio lactose free milk process is based on technologies to separate lactose completely from milk. Valio began development of chromatographic technology already in 1980’s, but the first lactose free milk drink was launched in Finland in 2001. Valio has developed the lactose free milk technology fur-ther and a new process using membrane technology has been patented.

Advantages of Valio lactose free technology are:

• Product is free of lactose (less than 0.01%)

• Lower in energy value

• Concentration of minerals in milk unchanged

• Taste of original milk not changed (no extra sweetness)

Success on the market

Valio lactose free milk drinks have been very successful on the Finnish market. In 2002 the product was launched also onto the Swedish market and in 2005 Valio started to sell a lactose free UHT milk drink in Belgium via its subsidiary Valio-Vache Bleue. Valio has also licensed the technology to three of its partners: Emmi in Switzerland, Kaiku in Spain and Maeil Dairy in South Korea.

In March 2006 Kaiku lactose free milk drink was awarded Innovation First Prize in Dairy Category at Alimentaria Fair in Barcelona.

Valio Ltd

Valio Ltd is the biggest food business in Finland by net turnover 1.6 billion euros. Valio is the market leader in all key dairy product groups in Finland and a world-class pioneer as the developer of func-tional foods. Valio Ltd is owned by 28 dairy cooperatives which have about 13 000 milk farmers as members.

Valio licenses her patented probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus GG (LGG®). Evolus technology to lower the blood pressure and technology for producing lactose free milk products. These technologies are used by Valio itself but also several companies under license from Valio Ltd.

More company information at www.valio.com