Fonterra Expands Probiotic Portfolio through Strategic Partnership with APC Microbiome Ireland

Fonterra, a global leader in dairy innovation, is taking a significant step forward in leveraging its probiotics expertise through a strategic partnership with APC Microbiome Ireland, a world-renowned Science Foundation Ireland research center dedicated to harnessing the microbiome's power for health and wellbeing.

The collaboration aims to identify and substantiate the health benefits of Fonterra's probiotics, with the ambitious goal of introducing several new probiotic strains to the market within the next 5-10 years. As the demand for probiotics continues to surge due to increased awareness of their positive impact on health and wellbeing, Fonterra sees vast market potential in the development of probiotic products.

Fonterra has experienced a remarkable ten-fold increase in probiotics sales in recent years, highlighting the growing consumer interest in these products. Partnering with APC Microbiome Ireland will enable Fonterra to expedite the development of new strains and expand its global presence in the probiotics market.

Fonterra, already a key player in the probiotics space, possesses one of the world's largest dairy culture collections, housing more than 40,000 strains. With nearly 30 years of probiotics development, the cooperative is well-positioned to lead in dairy innovation and science.

Dr. Mark Malone, Fonterra's GM of Science Technology, expresses enthusiasm about the collaboration with APC, emphasizing its potential to enhance Fonterra's health and nutrition expertise. The partnership will accelerate the creation of new and differentiated nutritional offerings, aligning with Fonterra's core strategy.

Professor Paul Ross, Director of APC Microbiome Ireland, sees the collaboration as a significant development for the research center, highlighting APC's global leadership in microbiome research. The partnership exemplifies APC's expertise in supporting new product development in collaboration with industry partners, both nationally and internationally.

The partnership underscores Fonterra's commitment to staying at the forefront of dairy innovation and science, with probiotics playing a pivotal role in expanding the cooperative's health and nutrition offerings. Fonterra's Bifidobacterium animalis strain BifidoB 019 (DR10TM) stands as a testament to the scientifically demonstrated health benefits of their probiotics, reinforcing their position as a trusted leader in the field.