Fonterra Reports First Year Success for NZMP Gold Instant Whole Milk Powder

07 Dec 2016 --- After two years of research and development, which included over 3,000 tests and more than 150 samples, NZMP Gold Instant Whole Milk Powder (WMP) has proven popular with consumer milk powder manufacturers around the globe. NZMP is the dairy ingredients brand of Fonterra.

Sales for NZMP Gold Instant WMP have exceeded targets during the first year and anecdotal feedback from consumer milk powder manufacturers is that they are achieving higher margins with this ingredient.

The powder wets and sinks in cold water on average within 7.2 seconds, which means it requires less stirring to fully dissolve. The ingredient is also cleaner and more consistent and comes with an age at time of shipment promise.

Andrew Maude, Consumer Powders Category Director, NZMP Marketing, says consumer milk powder manufacturers manage tight margins in what has been a relatively flat growth and highly competitive market.

“From the beginning we focused on developing a value-add ingredient that would help our customers’ business. After speaking with consumer milk powder manufacturers and end consumers, we knew freshness and solubility were vital if we wanted to develop a superior ingredient,” says Mr Maude.

Consumer research was conducted in Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Algeria to understand what milk powder characteristics were preferred over others. The research showed that consumers want a powder that dissolves quickly, tastes great and doesn’t leave a residue at the bottom.

“Through the development process the parameters for Gold Instant WMP were tightened, to create an ingredient that matches what consumers are looking for. For example, we narrowed the bulk density range, halved the insolubility index limit and limited the total wettability time.

“Our customers appreciate this new ingredient and have told us it gives them the ability to gain market share and command higher margins, by delivering this exceptional product to their consumers,” says Mr Maude.

NZMP Gold Instant WMP has a freshness guarantee from the time of manufacture to shipment. From October to July, the ingredient will be shipped less than 90 days after manufacturing. During the dry season, from August to September, this extends to 150 days.

Mr Maude says, that out of the 11 IWMP plants, the team picked the ones that we were up to producing this gold class offering.

“Only plants that are the best at controlling key variables through-out the production process were chosen. Even months after production we hear that this powder ticks all the boxes on what the consumers expect from an Instant WMP. It’s fresh. It looks good, wets and dissolves quickly, and tastes great,” says Mr Maude.

NZMP Gold Instant WMP is ideal for direct repacking into consumer formats or as a base powder for dry-blending into fortified consumer milk powders. Made from grass-fed New Zealand cows’ milk, Gold Instant WMP has Vegetarian and Halal status, with Kosher available on request.