Milk processing method enables higher digestibility for dairy-sensitive consumers’ indulgence

05 Oct 2022 --- Australian company Naturo has evolved its unique Haelen milk process – which created a 60-day shelf life – to now have two times the digestibility. The Haelen method kills more pathogens than traditional pasteurization, allowing it to be consumed more easily by those with sensitivities to dairy products.

Naturo treats the whey proteins within the milk differently from typical methods – not relying on the intense heat used with traditional milk processing, such as pasteurization, UHT & ESL – that break down the proteins further than the standard, allowing for easier and faster digestion and enhanced nutrient absorption. 

“This latest digestibility finding is a market breakthrough for our Haelen Technology partnerships and licensing agreements worldwide as well as opening the door to new products and market opportunities,” says Jeff Hastings, founder and CEO of Haelen. 

The company plans to export the milk outside of Australia in October 2022. If done, it will become the first non-thermal milk technology to be approved for export. 

Got Milk? Naturo created higher digestible milk for dairy-sensitive consumers. 
Producing more easily digested products and learning more about the microbiome to create optimized digestible food has increased in importance in recent years.

Naturo’s new technique is the only known method that kills bacillus cereus, a common pathogen in milk. According to the company, the result is a 100% fresh, natural dairy product that is twice as digestible as any other processed cow’s milk available on the Australian market, without adding anything to the milk.

A study conducted by the company showed that two-thirds of participants who usually experienced adverse reactions to cow’s milk found that Haelen processed milk eliminated or reduced the response.

According to Naturo, 68% of the global population is experiencing difficulty consuming milk and their motivation for creating the process was to allow those people to drink natural milk without the usual, adverse side effects. 

Naturo previously innovated in the milk industry by creating its processing technology to give milk a 60-day shelf life. The process was deemed “an alternative treatment to pasteurization of raw milk” by Dairy Food Safety Victoria (DFSV), with financial support from the Queensland state government putting in $190,000 and the Australian Federal Government $761,700.

Plant-based versus dairy 
Cow milk-based products came under scrutiny in a report published last month, which stipulates that dairy cows are more likely to face worse treatment than their beef cattle counterparts.

Conversely, classic milk products gained some positive attention when a separate paper uncovered that it contains more absorbable nutrients than their plant-based counterparts. Safefood reported plant milks often contain less protein and, in some cases, less calcium, ultimately becoming less nutritious when consumed. 

Edited by Sabine Waldeck