Chinese dairy giant Yili subsidiary Westland Milk Products lays foundation for the new factory in Hokitika to establish itself as the world’s valued bioactive ingredients producer.
On May 23, Yili subsidiary Westland Milk Products held a ceremony for the construction of its NZ$70 million ($42.58 million) lactoferrin factory in Hokitika, New Zealand. The investment will enable Yili to rank among the top three global companies in the lactoferrin category with a market share of approximately 10 percent.
The ceremony was attended by New Zealand Minister for Trade, Exports and Agriculture and Tasmania West Coast MP Damien O’Connor; the Director General of the Department of Primary Industry, Ray Smith ; the Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiao Long ; and Chinese Consul General in Christchurch , He Ying.
Lactoferrin is a versatile natural protein, that offers immune system benefits as well as antibacterial and antioxidant effects. Its widely used in food, pharmaceuticals, and other industries on global markets. The company has invested significant resources in research and development to address the challenges of lactoferrin extraction. In order to improve the quality of protein components and increase extraction efficiency, Yili developed its own alignable lactoferrin extraction technology. As part of its long-term strategic plan, Yili has worked to overcome key technological barriers, increase the company’s global reach, and improve its long-term profitability.
Yili Westland’s director, Zhiqiang Li emphasized on the significance of the global market advantage that both Westland and Yili would gain from Yili’s investment in the new lactoferrin factory.
“The launch of the Lactoferrin program will secure Westland’s position as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of valued bioactive ingredients. The investment also signals Yili’s commitment to high-quality bioactive ingredients takes over milk ingredients” said Director Zhiqiang Li.
“We were one of the first companies to bring this highly specialized protein ingredient to market, and over the past 20 years we’ve built a reputation for producing exceptional products. Our pipeline of innovation in bioactive ingredients is extensively progressed and we are pleased that we are one step closer to commercializing these concepts” said Richard Wyeth , CEO of Westland.
