Emmi invests in goat milk powder
Image: Emmi
Emmi has commissioned a new, energy-efficient spray tower for the production of goat’s milk powder at the site of its two subsidiaries, Goat Milk Powder and Bettinehoeve, in Etten-Leur, the Netherlands.
Emmi is investing CHF40 million (€40.7m) in the growing global market for goat’s milk powder. The goat milk powder business is managed by the newly founded Emmi Nutritional Solutions (ENS), which combines all procurement, manufacturing and sales activities.
The new strategic unit is a merger of the goat and sheep milk powder dealer AVH dairy trade, which has been part of the Emmi Group since 2013, and the goat milk powder manufacturer Goat Milk Powder, in which Emmi has held a stake since 2016.
Goat’s milk powder is a valuable source of protein, minerals, vitamins and trace elements and has a nutritional profile similar to human breast milk. Accordingly, the global demand for high-quality pure goat milk powder, especially in the form of baby food, has grown steadily in recent years.
In addition to specialised baby food, the range will be expanded to include a wide range of milk-based end products with protein-enriched powder. These range from foods for a healthy and active lifestyle to special nutrition for adults and the elderly.
The spray drying plant, equipped with energy-efficient energy pumps and recovery technologies, is a prime example of eco- and energy efficiency. As part of the Emmi sustainability model, which is geared towards a net-zero reduction path, and the objective of reducing internal greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2027, the system uses an electric heat pump instead of a gas-driven steam system. This reduces annual carbon emissions by more than 6,000 tons.
In addition to using the residual heat from the nearby Bettinehoeve speciality cheese production facility, air compressors also recover the energy used for cooling. The new system also reduces water consumption by 20% due to a return of the condensate from the steamed milk that occurs during the production process to the water cycle.