Fonterra launches new cheese ingredients at Shanghai food event

Fonterra launched new cheese ingredients at Food Ingredients China in Shanghai. Photo / Christine Cornege

Content brought to you by Fonterra

The Country Sport Breakfast catches up with the team at Fonterra. Today, host Brian Kelly is joined by Katie McClure, Director of Category Innovation and Foodservice.

Kelly asked McClure, “I heard you were in China last week to connect with Fonterra’s customers in the market. How was it?”

“It was really great to be in Shanghai last week, for Food Ingredients China, which is an event they host over there, and it was an opportunity to meet a whole lot of key players in the food industry and every time I go there I am amazed at how quickly the sector is changing,” McClure said.

China is an important market for Fonterra. The co-op’s NZMP ingredients brand is well-recognised and trusted in the market.

This year at the event, Fonterra showcased its premium grass-fed ingredients alongside functional nutrition solutions and new product innovations.

It was all about showing New Zealand dairy expertise and how it drives high-quality and sustainable solutions for Fonterra’s customers in China.

Kelly asked, “What products did Fonterra showcase this year?”

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“We officially launched two new cheese ingredients - Cheddarsan and Low Salt Mozzarella curd, which are being used in a lot of the local cheese snacks, such as cheese slices, cheese sausage and string cheese,” McClure said.

Cheese penetration is quite a bit lower in China than in the Western world, so there is an exciting opportunity to drive cheese growth.

“We also introduced an NZMP nutrition powder, combining our milk powder with functional ingredients such as protein, Milk Fat Globule Membrane and milk minerals, so really connecting to that health trend,” McClure said.

“Our NZMP AI Product Assistant was showcased for the first time.

“This is a smart tool that gives our customers instant access to comprehensive product information.

“So, innovation continues to be a big focus for this market,” Kelly said.

McClure said China was such a dynamic market with constantly changing consumer trends, so product innovations were key to staying competitive and growing Fonterra’s market share.

Fonterra continues to see strong demand for its natural, grass-fed dairy products.

The government’s Healthy China 2030 is driving consumers to choose products with sustainability, provenance, and nutrition credentials.

McClure said New Zealand’s reputation as a great place to source dairy and grass-fed proposition is what set Fonterra’s products apart.