Company: Fonterra

Website: www.nzmp.com/global/en.html

Ingredient Snapshot: With 67 percent of consumers stating that they were concerned about their stress and anxiety levels in 2020, Americans are more stressed than ever before. While stress is the catalyst, the impact of ongoing mental strain has been linked to everything from impaired mood to lack of focus to long-term sleep issues. With the growing consumer interest in mental health and mental wellbeing, the public is on the hunt for solutions that go beyond traditional capsules and pills. 

Studies have shown there is a connection between snacking and stress. The concept of stress snacking is almost universally viewed negatively, but wouldn’t it be great to change the narrative of stress snacking into something positive?

To help food brands provide consumers highly sought-after edible solutions to their everyday stress, NZMP, a dairy ingredient-solutions brand by global dairy mainstay Fonterra, is launching Milk Phospholipids, into the U.S. active lifestyle market. Naturally present in milk, these complex lipids are clinically proven to help manage the effects of stress, to allow consumers to stay focused and positive under stress. 

“The launch of our Milk Phospholipids is an exciting moment for NZMP and the dairy industry as a whole. By extending our portfolio into the mental wellness space, we’re helping food brands tap into new consumers’ needs, such as mood-enhancement and cognitive performance under stress — issues that have recently amplified due to the pandemic. We know this innovation will be a big hit for the market and our initial industry feedback has been very positive,” said Charlotte Ortiz, global marketing and communications manager at Fonterra.

Made from non-GMO, rBST-free, grass-fed New Zealand cow’s milk, NZMP Milk Phospholipids are high in beneficial whey protein which supports muscle build and recovery and low in both lactose and sugar content. This clean-tasting dairy solution is suitable for delivering multi-functional benefits to many food and beverage products. 

After 18 months of research and development, the Fonterra team has developed several ingredients-based applications for their Milk Phospholipids, including nutritional bars, ready-to-mix powders, and supplement sachets. NZMP’s Milk Phospholipids are compatible with many of the brand’s other health and wellness ingredients, to help offer functionality that goes beyond stress management. 

“As one of the largest dairy companies in the world, we are able to give brands both the functional ingredients and formulation expertise they need. We do this by helping our partners innovate, collaborate, explore health research, and develop compelling new products that address current and future health needs. Dairy ingredients are new to the mental wellbeing space, so we are excited to work with brands to deliver new solutions for this health segment to consumers around the world,” said Ortiz. 

To learn more about NZMP’s Milk Phospholipid ingredient, visit www.nzmp.com/milk-phospholipids.