The global health and wellness trend is driving the growing demand for milk-based products in Asia. Consumers are interested in healthy and natural products that support wellbeing and have high nutritional value. Milk protein is scientifically proven to be the most nutritious of natural protein sources. Valio has conducted scientific research on the properties of milk for more than 100 years.

The majority of the population in South-East Asia is not able to enjoy dairy products because of the lactose in milk. Valio has always been interested in people’s health and wellbeing and has strived to develop science- and research-based products that promote wellness.

“Industry-tailored, lactose-free Valio Eila® products are an example of our pioneering and research-based product development. Thanks to our unique technology, they are gut-friendly and can be enjoyed also by people who typically can’t consume milk products. We help local food industry companies to develop products for their own customers, products like protein-rich yoghurts and low-sugar chocolate, that meet local nutritional needs and are gut friendly,” says Timo Pajari, Senior Vice President heading Valio’s international sales of special milk powders.

Lifelong wellbeing from dairy-based products

Proper nutrition is the foundation of wellbeing at all stages of life. In the first stages, we need food that is wholesome and safe for babies and children. As adults, we might need protein-rich food to support an active lifestyle or food that is low in calories to help with weigh management; and as we age, we need food that is tasty and nutritious.

“Valio’s special milk powders can be used to add protein to snacks for athletes, for example, or to lower the sugar content in chocolate without compromising taste and quality. With our diverse range of products and our leading expertise, we can help food industry companies to introduce completely new products that meet people’s changing needs,” Timo Pajari explains.

Valio, a Finnish dairy and food company owned by 4,300 dairy farmers, has operated in the South-East Asian market for years. Valio is especially known for its high-quality, safe, and pure dairy products. Thanks to the clean Arctic environment, meticulous quality control, extremely high level of hygiene, animal welfare, and responsible milk production, Valio’s milk is among the purest in the world.

“It was natural for us to partner with DKSH because they have a strong foothold in Asia and long-term expertise in the food and beverage segment. With our products, they also have the ability to help their customers to develop new kinds of products for new target groups and thus to grow their market share in new segments. As a result of this collaboration, Valio’s special milk powders are now available in Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Singapore,” Timo Pajari says.

“We are very pleased to enter a distribution agreement with Valio in several key markets across South-East Asia and Taiwan. Valio is a brand leader in Finland and major player in the international dairy ingredients market with over 115 years of experience and Nobel prize-winning innovation. The company’s high-quality milk powders, from fresh Finnish milk that is pure and clean combined with modern technology, are an excellent fit for our product portfolio in several applications such as Confectionery & Bakery, Dairy and Ready meals. The products will be advantageous to our large customer base in Asia due to their protein content, taste and other benefits. We look forward to increasing our market coverage with Valio in the region,” says Cesar Saez, Vice President Global Food & Beverage Ingredients, DKSH.