Nestlé and Valio collaborate to make a premium product even tastier

Choosing Valio

Teaming up with Valio was a natural choice when it comes to traceable milk. Transparency is at the heart of Valio’s operations. All of Valio’s milk is traceable back to the level of an individual farm. Finnish cows are among the healthiest in the world, and every cow even has its own name. Valio has a long history as an IMF ingredient supplier, starting from the 1970s. Valio is also a global forerunner in lactose free milk products. Valio has been an approved supplier for Nestlé for many years and is proud to run Nestlé-approved production plants. This meant that making Valio’s sustainably produced, clean, and healthy milk a key ingredient in Nestlé’s Nutren® Junior was a win-win for both parties.

Improving the recipe with milk

Nestlé describes Nutren® Junior as a complete and balanced formula, scientifically designed to support the catch-up growth for children at nutritional risk aged 1–12 years. Previously, the main ingredient was maltodextrin, which is a polysaccharide produced from vegetable starch. Nestlé wanted to improve the flavor without compromising on the nutritional content.

Valio’s lactose free Eila® PRO skimmed milk powder, produced at Valio’s state-of-the-art Lapinlahti plant, was chosen as the main ingredient. Thanks to selecting milk as the first ingredient, Nutren® Junior now comes with a creamy taste that kids love, whilst still being low in lactose to support digestive comfort and containing good quality protein that supports children as they grow.

Nutren® Junior contains protein and zinc for growth and development, as well as vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption. Calcium aids the growth of bones and teeth. Nutren® Junior also contains probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) to help improve intestinal and gastrointestinal function. It also has DHA and choline, as well as 29 other important vitamins and minerals to support the growth of children with nutritional issues.

Launching into new markets

Nutren® Junior is currently available in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Spain. Eventually, Nestlé will be launching this product in 20+ markets across Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Europe, with Valio’s clean, premium milk as their key message in marketing efforts as well.