Infant nutrition based on whole milk
Breastfeeding is the best nutrition for the healthy growth and development of babies. However, some mothers cannot or choose not to breastfeed, and in such cases, infant formula is the only safe alternative. Friso Prestige is one such infant formula. Researcher Christel Timmer-Keetels played a key role in turning the idea into a product.
Within our department, my main focus is on infant nutrition. My role involves exploring ideas for further improvement of our infant nutrition for feasibility and viability and translating them into initial product concepts. I often work at the forefront of projects. In this role, I was also involved in the introduction of the first Friso Prestige in 2015 and its successors in 2018 and 2023.
Milk fat and vegetable fats
Typically, infant nutrition is made from skimmed milk powder to which vegetable fats are added. The fat in such infant nutrition primarily consists of vegetable fats. What makes Friso Prestige special is that it is developed based on whole milk and cream. This allows us to utilize as many nutrients naturally present in milk as possible, aligning with our "grass-to-glass" concept.
In Friso Prestige, cow's milk fat is supplemented with vegetable fats to ensure the nutrition contains sufficient essential fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid. By combining milk fat, vegetable fats, and DHA, we achieve a fat composition that meets the nutritional needs of babies.
Lactoferrin
Furthermore, in addition to essential nutrients such as vitamins and iron, we add special components to the base milk powder used to make Friso Prestige, such as lactoferrin. Lactoferrin is an iron-binding whey protein found in breast milk but only in limited quantities in cow's milk. We extract lactoferrin from cow's milk in our production facility in Veghel (The Netherlands) for use in our infant nutrition.
What makes Friso Prestige special is that it is developed based on whole milk and cream
Different target audiences
Under the Friso Prestige brand, we have introduced baby and toddler milk for various age groups. Friso Prestige is specially developed for consumers in China and Hong Kong. In China and Hong Kong, consumers demand only the highest quality infant nutrition, and Friso Prestige meets that need.
Developing a product like Friso Prestige is a process of continuous experimentation, adjustment, tweaking, and asking yourself, "What does this add?" Each time, you need to consider the question, "What is the benefit for the baby?" And, of course, there is a commercial aspect: "Is this a product we can market?" "What does the consumer need?" We collaborate with our team of nutritionists and marketers to address these questions. Thanks to the additions to the base milk powder, we can differentiate for different target audiences.
Creating added value
Milk is our foundation. FrieslandCampina controls the entire process from the cow to the final product, also known as "grass-to-glass." We have full control of the entire process. We use as many fresh dairy ingredients as possible and process them as minimally as possible. This allows the nutrients from milk to retain their original form as much as possible. That's the beauty of it. I have a farming background myself, and my husband is a dairy farmer. Creating added value for our dairy farmers, extracting all the goodness from milk, that's my passion.