Dairy ingredients and solutions for infant nutrition
Nutrition designed for the earliest stages of life
Infant milk formula (IMF) is one of the most demanding categories in food manufacturing with strict regulatory requirements, high nutritional standards and strong consumer expectations for safety and quality. Valio offers consumer packaged infant nutrition solutions, base powders, and infant grade ingredients made from pure Finnish milk and fresh whey in our own modern facilities with over 70 years of experience.
Good to remember: Breast milk is the best food for babies
Breast milk 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.
Valio IMF offering
Valio’s portfolio supports the full range of IMF applications, including Infant Milk Formula (Stage 1), Follow-On Formula (Stage 2), and Young Child Formula (Stage 3).
Consumer packaged solutions
Consumer packaged solutions
Valio offers a complete range of infant and children’s formulas designed to support optimal growth and development, laying the foundation for lifelong health.
Each formula is carefully tailored to meet age-specific nutritional needs and fully complies with international standards and regulations (EU, CODEX, and China GB). When needed, compositions can also be optimized to meet local requirements.
Nutritional composition
Our formulations feature an optimal blend of vegetable and milk fats as a natural source of MFGM, with lactose as the sole carbohydrate source for infants and children. Products are enriched with key nutrients such as DHA, ARA, lutein, GOS, HMO, probiotics, and age-specific vitamin and mineral mixes – all while remaining completely palm oil free.
Complete range of formulas for infants and children
We offer ready-made Standard, Premium and Super premium formulas for stages 1-3, to support optimal growth and development and lay the foundation for lifelong health.
Stage 1: 0-6 months
Tailored to the infants’ nutritional needs as a sole source of nutrition for the first 6 months of life to support the optimal growth and development. Five different formulas readily available based on your needs.
EU regulations:
- Standard
- Premium
CODEX standards:
- Standard
- Premium
- Super premium
- Super premium rev. 2023
Stage 2: 6-12 months
Tailored to support the healthy growth and development during the introduction of complementary feeding as the principal liquid element for infants 6–12 months of age. Six different formulas ready-available based on your needs:
EU regulations:
- Standard
- Premium
CODEX standards:
- Standard
- Premium
- Super premium
- Super premium rev. 2023
Stage 3: 12-36 months
Tailored to secure the optimal intake of nutrients for continous growth and development during the phase of transition to the diversified family diet for young children 12–36 months of age. Six different formulas ready-available based on your needs:
EU regulations:
- Standard
- Premium
CODEX standards:
- Standard
- Premium
- Super premium
- Super premium rev. 2023
Create tailored formulas in three steps
In addition to ready-available Standard, Premium and Super premium formulas, we can also develop tailored formula recipes for our customer.
Step 1:
Choose your base powder
Select your preferred base for dry blending: choose from an EU regulations base, a CODEX standards base, or a tailored formulation designed to your specific requirements.
Step 2:
Add premium ingredients
Enhance your product through dry blending by selecting from our range of high-value ingredients including DHA, ARA, HMOs, probiotics, nucleotides, lactoferrin, choline, and age-specific vitamins and minerals.
Step 3:
Select packaging format
Choose the packaging solution that best fits your market: tins (400g or 800g), bag-in-box (350–500g), or pouch (350–700g). All come with a spoon, except the pouch format.
Base powders
Base powders from basic blends to complete formulas
An infant milk base powder is the foundational ingredient mix used to manufacture infant formula. It provides the core nutritional components and is later combined with additional ingredients to create the final formula product. 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 base powders and standard recipes according to EU and CODEX regulations for stages 1-3.
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.
Our offering for base powders
EU regulations
Premium base for stages 1–3, optimization by blending. Complies with Regulation (EU) 2016/127 for infant and follow-on formulas.
Codex standards
High-end base powders for stages 1–3 with GOS for dry blending or directly for consumer packing. Complies CODEX STAN 72-1981 for infant formula and CODEX STAN 156-1987 for follow-up and young children formula (previous & rev. 2023).
Tailored base
High-quality tailor made base powder according to your needs made of our own fresh milk and whey and utilizing our strong science-backed nutritional expertise.
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.
Ingredients for early life nutrition
Opportunities in early life nutrition
Infant milk formulas remains the core commercial focus for Valio’s infant nutrition solutions, but our portfolio also supports a wide range of other emerging opportunities in early-life nutrition.
Phospholipids in milk fat support infant development
The fat similarity index shows that cow’s milk is the closest alternative to breast milk as it shares natural similarities with human milk fat, in both composition and structure. Similarity index of milk fat based IMFs is significantly higher and closer to that of breast milk than the index of vegetable oil based IMFs.
The secret of milk fat is the Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM)
MFGM is a unique component of cow’s milk fat, not found in vegetable oils. It contains complex lipids such as phospholipids, which play an essential role in supporting brain and nervous system development and contribute to healthy neuromuscular function. Research has also shown that MFGM can provide additional benefits when combined with milk proteins.
Valio’s expertise on phospholipids helps you better meet the nutritional needs of infants.
Why Valio?
Why choose Valio for early life nutrition?
Valio offers an optimal full IMF process based on wet process, dry blending, and premium packing. From a wide range of options for recipes and packing, we can flexibly tailor a product to suit the market-specific needs of our IMF customers. Our IMF manufacturing process always starts with fresh, unprocessed milk. Compared to processes that use powdered milk as raw material, we can skip one processing round altogether. In a less processed product, the nutrients are better preserved, risk of contamination is lower, and the taste is more natural.
- Heritage and expertise: 70 years of experience in infant nutrition solutions
- R&D strength: Clinical and nutritional expertise supporting evidence-based formulations
- Trusted quality: 100% traceable milk from Finnish farms
- Regulatory alignment: Solutions designed to meet global standards
Research and insights
Discover the research driving our infant and early life nutrition solutions including studies on milk fat composition, MFGM, and phospholipids that support healthy growth and cognitive development.
How to harness the effects of MFGM and OPO
Anu Turpeinen, PhD
What makes cow milk fat the optimal fat in formula
Dr. Baoru Yang
Valio Prime SMP – exceptional pureness for dry blending IMF
Valio’s fat similarity index illustrates the benefits of mil…
Anu Turpeinen, PhD
White paper: Dietary phospholipids in all stages of life
Lapinlahti infant nutrition plant delivers premium quality
Contact our experts
Looking to develop or expand your infant nutrition portfolio? Valio’s experts can help you navigate formulation, regulatory requirements, and market opportunities.
