Tate & Lyle and Long Life Dairy collaborate to improve consumer access to dairy
Tate & Lyle has worked with Long Life Dairy, a subsidiary of dairy manufacturer Unique Dairy, to create a range of low cost, long shelf life products to enable more families with limited access to refrigeration to benefit from dairy.
Dairy, which can provide key nutrients such as calcium and protein, is the most commonly under consumed food group in South Africa after fruit and vegetables, with experts citing availability and cost as the main barriers to consumption.
Tate & Lyle technical service teams in Kya Sand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Lübeck, Germany, worked with Long Life Dairy’s development team to trial different recipe formulations. Using Tate & Lyle’s stabilisers and functional systems, the new range of affordable yogurt-style dairy snacks, bottled milkshakes and custard pouches do not require refrigeration and are shelf stable for up to one year. In contrast, a typical yogurt would require refrigeration and have a use by date of up to 30 days.
Stefan Van der Berg, general manager, Long Life Dairy, said: “Many dairy products on sale in the South Africa require cold storage and, although ambient shelf life milk and custard are widely available, there are few on-the-go dairy options for immediate consumption. We believe that our new long-life dairy products developed with Tate & Lyle are unique in the South African dairy market, due to their on-the-go format and the innovative stabilisers and functional systems used to deliver nutrition, shelf stability and great taste at an affordable price.
“Ambient dairy is an exciting new sub-category for our business and we are exploring opportunities to introduce the new range to consumers in other African regions.”
Neels Poerstamper, technical support manager South Africa, Tate & Lyle, said: “Using our innovative stabiliser ingredient blends, we are proud to have helped Long Life Dairy to create an innovative new product range that will help more families to enjoy the benefits of dairy, particularly those without access to cold storage.
“This product innovation demonstrates how, with customers, we are providing access to nutritious and affordable foods, and delivering on our purpose of Improving Lives for Generations. The packaging, price point and long shelf life make the range particularly attractive to South Africa’s many solo traders, allowing them to capitalise on resale opportunities.”
