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Infant Nutrition

Consumer packaged infant nutrition solutions, base powders, and infant grade ingredients made from pure Finnish milk and fresh whey in our own modern facilities.

Good to remember: Breast milk is the best food for babies

Breastmilk is the best choice for babies. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months; continued breastfeeding after introduction of complementary food (up to two years); and consultation of a healthcare professional when introducing infant formula or complementary food.

OEM

Complete Infant Formulas

Valio offers an optimal full IMF process based on wet process, dry blending, and premium packing.

State-of-the-art infant nutrition manufacturing

In our Lapinlahti plant, the new dry blend facility adds even more flexibility in terms of recipes and nutrients. The dry blending process allows us to add heat-sensitive micro ingredients such as lactoferrin and probiotics.

Wet process: The composition of the formula is 70-80% of Valio’s own high quality and fully traceable key macro ingredients. In the wet process, the key macro ingredients (milk, whey, lactose, milk fat/vegetable oil), prebiotics and vitamins and minerals are blended prior evaporation and drying.

Dry blending: A wide range of value-added micro ingredients can be added to tailor the product for a certain nutritional or market specific need. A tailored composition may allow a variety of marketing claims related to the value-added ingredients.

Support for your go-to-market strategy

Valio has over 70 years of experience in infant nutrition and science-driven innovation. We can support you in everything you need for a successful market entry, from product development and recipes to legal requirements and patents.

  • Recipe design management to meet the nutritional and regulatory requirements
  • Trial runs and shelf-life tests
  • Registration support and clinical study management (if required)
  • Stages 1-3: Infant formula, follow-on formula, and growing up formula
  • Additional portfolio range possibilities in further stages, mama products and ready-to-feed UHT liquid formulas

Opportunity to add product qualities such as organic, lactose free, and hydrolysed whey

Base powders

Base powders from basic blends to complete formulas

Valio offers base powders from basic blends to almost completed formulas.

Valio people

From tailored formulas to standard recipes

Valio offers base powders from basic blends to almost completed formulas. You can choose between fully customised solutions and Valio’s own high-quality recipes. We supply both tailored formulas and standard recipes according to EU and CODEX regulations.

High-quality ingredients and recipe knowhow make Valio a reliable partner for adding capacity where needed, resulting in less need for investments at your own facility. We can tailor the solution to your specific needs so that you can make nutritious, high-quality infant nutrition products, while optimising your manufacturing process.

Valio base powders are an ideal solution for milk-based infant formulas. They also offer a variety of possibilities for a wide range of other baby foods, such as milk-based cereals.

Wet and dry blend facilities allow for a variety of micro ingredients

All Valio base powders are manufactured in our new state-of-the-art IMF production plant that has the highest standards of hygiene. The wet blend process and spray drying started in 2014, and the dry blend process and tin packing line was added in 2020. All processes are built on decades of R&D, manufacturing, and market experience in infant nutrition, as Valio’s first consumer IMF product was launched in 1955.

In the dry blend process, we can add heat-sensitive micro ingredients, such as lactoferrin and probiotics. This allows for flexibility in recipe design.

The whey is delivered in a closed system from our cheese factory next door. We have full control over the quality chain, and the quality of the whey is not affected by transport. All our milk is fully traceable to the farm of origin and subject to our strict quality controls.

Business opportunities in value-added early life nutrition

Business opportunities in value-added early life nutrition

Toddler and mama products are a rapidly growing business opportunity. It is becoming clearer that the foundations for health are laid during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. As a result, parents are increasingly willing to invest in nutritional products that support normal growth and development.

Our dry blend process allows us to add heat-sensitive value-adding micro ingredients, such as lactoferrin and probiotics. With these micronutrients, you can create new special nutrition products and succeed in the value-added early life nutrition market.

Valio base powders for infant nutrition:

  • packaged in 20 kg modified atmosphere
  • also available in big bags with modified atmosphere
  • standard specifications for stages 1-3
  • tailored base powders for infant, toddler, and mama products
  • tailored base powders for special nutrition products, such as lactose free

Nutrition for healthy development

Explore our range of B2B infant nutrition solutions—made from pure Finnish milk on our farms and fresh whey in our ultra-modern facilities.

Infant grade ingredients

Infant grade ingredients from fresh milk and whey

Valio’s IMF grade ingredient offering includes demineralized whey powders, as well as regular, organic, and lactose free milk powders for use in wet blending processes. The latest addition, Valio Prime SMP, can also be used in dry blending because of its exceptional pureness.

Compared to production processes that use powdered milk as raw material, we can skip one processing round altogether. The manufacturing process of our infant milk formula (IMF) grade milk powders always starts with fresh, unprocessed milk. In a less processed product, the nutrients are better preserved, risk of contamination is lower, and the taste is more natural.

We deliver quality through the entire value chain, offering full traceability and complete records right from our own dairy farms to the end-product. You can manufacture safe and nutritious infant formula with our ingredients that meet highest quality requirements as well as nutritional recommendations.

For example, all the whey used in our processes comes from our own cheese factories. In our Lapinlahti plant, the whey is delivered from the cheese factory in a closed system. We have full control over the quality chain, and the quality of the whey is not affected by transport.

Research

Read more about the research

Interested in further information?

Want to hear more about our business solutions and ingredients? To be connected with Valio Food Solution Sales, fill in the contact form. Our product experts will be happy to help you

Sari Vahla

Sari Vahla

Head of sales Infant nutrition
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