As the dairy industry continues to look for innovative ways to save money, multinational dairy cooperative Fonterra is using a creative application of existing filtration technology to capture and extract lactose previously left in its waste stream. The New Zealand company—the country’s largest—is investing $8 million in an upgrade at its Edgecumbe plant that will both reduce the company’s dependence on lactose from overseas and deliver significant cost savings.
Fonterra Director, New Zealand Manufacturing, Mark Leslie says the upgrade will play a vital role in the cooperative’s ability to provide high-quality milk powder to the world. “Lactose is used mainly in standardizing milk powder, and the additional volumes of lactose we’re now able to capture will be essential in supplying the new dryer opening soon in Lichfield—one of our most strategically important builds,” Leslie explains.