It is most effective to feed colostrum in the first six to 12 hours of a calf's life, says DairyNZ. Photo / Bevan Conley
It is most effective to feed colostrum in the first six to 12 hours of a calf's life, says DairyNZ. Photo / Bevan Conley
An “excess” dairy product is being turned into health commodities destined for export.
Hamilton-based FoodWaikato collects colostrum – the first form of milk produced by a mother after birth - from farmers after it has satisfied the needs of newborn calves.
Colostrum supply manager Emma Voorend said the company onlywants what is not required for calves.
DairyNZ said calves are born with a non-developed immune system and must absorb maternal antibodies from gold colostrum to help fight disease.
At 1 day old, the calf gut “closes” and becomes unable to absorb antibodies.
DairyNZ said calves that fail to absorb enough antibodies in the first 24 hours are said to have suffered “failure of passive transfer”.
All calves, including bobby calves, must receive adequate fresh colostrum within the first 12 hours.
DairyNZ said newborn calves need at least 10% of their bodyweight (4 litres for a 40kg calf) of gold colostrum within the first 6-12 hours.
“Calves can only take 1.5 to 2 litres in their stomach, so two feeds within the first 12 hours is the target.”
Farmers are not permitted to put colostrum into the milk supply until eight milkings have been completed.
Colostrum collection
FoodWaikato colostrum supply manager Emma Voorend. Photo / Steve Edwards
Voorend said excess colostrum went into a separate vat on farms involved in the FoodWaikato initiative.
It is collected by tanker and dried at Innovation Park in Hamilton before being sent to parent company, New Image Group, in South Auckland for processing into a powder-based drink and colostrum capsules.
Trevor Lock, head of product innovation at New Image, said that 26 years ago, the company produced the world’s first colostrum-based nutritional supplement.
Colostrum powder was sourced from the former New Zealand Dairy Group and processed into a breakfast drink, exported, and also sold on the domestic market.
Fast forward to 2023, and he said FoodWaikato undertook a trial, collecting colostrum from a group of Otorohanga farmers, “hiring time” on the dryer in Hamilton to turn the product into powder.
Later that year, New Image Group acquired FoodWaikato and the dryer.
The operation initially concentrated on nutritional powders before branching into colostrum.
Trial results
The 2023 trial produced two tonnes of colostrum powder, increasing to 10 tonnes last year.
Lock said the business now sourced colostrum from thousands of cows, chiefly from the Waikato, but also some in Southland.
The company’s vision is to grow this figure significantly in the next two years, taking in most of the North Island and a large proportion of the South Island.
“This is about securing supply for the future,” Lock said.
Twin peaks
He said the company had two colostrum collection peaks from farmers – February/March and July to the end of September.
A “small fraction” of the finished product is sold in New Zealand, with the bulk exported to markets including South-East Asia, Africa, and Europe.
FoodWaikato and New Image Group follow strict Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) protocols, as do farmers who sign up for colostrum collection.
Vincent Arbuckle, deputy director-general of MPI business unit New Zealand Food Safety, said New Zealand processors of colostrum material and products for export were required to operate under a registered and independently verified risk management programme (RMP).
“A registered RMP is a legally binding document that sets out how the operator will identify and control, manage, eliminate or minimise food safety hazards and other processing risk factors.
“Hazards may be biological, chemical or physical.
“An RMP must also ensure products are truthfully and correctly labelled.”
Arbuckle said exporters of colostrum products from New Zealand were required to register with the ministry and meet requirements that enable it to give official assurances to overseas authorities over exported animal material or products.
“Compliance with the regulatory requirements is regularly monitored and enforced by the ministry.”
