People in general have grown conscious of making healthier diet choices. Today, they display a stronger preference towards dietary changes. For instance, the Research Department suggests that 64% of consumers in the U.S. are personally conscious when shopping in the food, beverage and supplement markets.
Market retailers understand that healthy food choices go beyond simply removing sugar and salt. It’s more about delivering a complete nutritional profile with an element of deliciousness. A part of it is the consumption of dairy products such as yoghurt and milk.
With its low-fat, no-fat and full-cream nutritional values, dairy products have become a healthier alternative in the food industry. Understanding its active consumption role in diets, Ingredia Inc, a top supplier of quality dairy ingredients is dedicated to serving the industry with the better-quality, nutritional ingredients in satisfying its market demands. The US subsidiary, led by Keiser Tammy, the Director, also playing a role in Sales and Marketing, partners its experts with companies across North America to focus on dietary supplements for human and pet health, each of which is full of valuable proteins and bioactive ingredients for ensured wellbeing.
Let’s dive in to Ingredia’s operations behind encouraging healthy lifestyles across the globe.
Journey So Far
It all started in the north of France in 1949 with the creation of a farm cooperative, Prospérité Fermière, which was originally a milk, cream and butter business. In the 1980s, feeling milk ingredients could better valorize its farmers’ work, the cooperative created an ingredient division named Ingredia, which first sold milk powders and proteins to the food and nutrition industries. In the 1990s, it explored a partnership with the researchers of Nancy University (France), and finally jumped into the bioactive ingredients market in 2000, with the launch of Lactium®, its first unique, patented, clinically proven ingredient for stress relief. In the 2010s three other launches followed with Prodiet® Colostrum (2002), Osteum™ CPP (2013) and Prodiet® Lactoferrin (2015). It is also in the 2010s when Ingredia grew internationally, with Ingredia Inc being created in 2009, shortly after its Asian affiliate. In 2019, the company celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2019 with the launch of 5th bioactive ingredient, Pep2Dia®, a patented ingredient for healthy blood sugar levels.
Key Products and Services
Ingredia is renowned for the rigorous scientific background of its unique ingredients. For instance, Lactium® is supported by 9 clinical studies in stress relief and sleep improvement on more than 500 volunteers, but also by a consumer study on 300 volunteers, stating eight out of ten are happy with the efficacy.
Ingredia’s team works on bringing added value to its customers through patents or by negotiating functional claims all over the world. Service-wise, the company provides marketing, regulatory and application support. For instance, marketing tools are provided for prescribers’ convictions, or a B2B2C website for consumer reassurance.
Tammy believes that co-branding must provide additional trust in the finished product and work on consumer content.
In addition, Ingredia’s R&D team also spends an average of 30% of their time on customer support.
Operating on Six Core Values
Tammy, along with the team, see themselves as dairy explorers since 1949. Together they rely on six core values: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Expertise, Performance, Team Spirit, and CSR.
At Ingredia, for instance, 10% of its staff works on innovation and delivers two to six scientific publications or clinical studies per year.
CSR wise, its plant has received a double CSR label. “We invest in biomass energy and target 70% of renewable energy by 2030 to obtain the ISO 50001 norm. We work on the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. We also aim at parity, with a current 93/100 women-to-men ratio,” emphasizes Tammy.
The manifesto that Tammy and her team want to see embodied is: “Because we respect humans, animals and nature; because we believe in innovation respectful of tradition and the land; and because we love our region and its authenticity, we supply milk and milk ingredients for a prosperous future, serving health and nutrition, respectful of the planet.” The company aims to achieve it in everything that it undertakes.
Ensuring the Next Added Value for Farmers and Customers
To make sure cooperative farmers have a profitable activity and that future generations will still envision a farmer’s career is Ingredia’s biggest responsibility.
In some countries where Ingredia sells bottled milk, it can go as far as identifying – through blockchain technology – the farmer who produced the milk that consumers drink. That’s business with a face.
With regards to some of its customers, who by themselves are deeply rooted in sustainable development and committed to their own community’s welfare, it is a shared value that bonds Ingredia together with them. For this reason, “It challenges us to constantly explore where’s the next added value, be it through the highest standards of quality, clinical proof, innovation, or services,” adds Michael.
Sharing Words of Wisdom
Tammy shares her piece of advice for the budding entrepreneurs who desire to venture into the dairy products industry. She says, “We are constantly improving, professionally and personally. Know your product(s) and how they are needed by your consumers. Whether your product is for B2B, B2C, or B2B2C, as entrepreneurs in any industry, we must take the time to develop our team and products to succeed.”
Having a successful team is also essential when it comes to upholding a business. It would mean helping, mentoring and growing together. Hence, Tammy adds, “Surround yourself with the right people, stay focused and positive! Build your team with respect and knowledge. Take notice of each person’s ambitions and goals and help coach and guide them to achieve their ambitions and goals. Continuous improvement in ourselves, our teams and our products is necessary for continued success.”
Upscaling Ingredia’s Operations
The company aims to maintain its leadership in unique dairy bioactive ingredients. It envisions its growth through portfolio extension with new therapeutic areas to come, and reinforcing current ingredients with additional clinical studies, additional application areas and new claims for on-pack use.
Recognizing Achievement
Tammy and her team are proud to be trusted by—Sanofi Aventis, Douglas Laboratories, Life Extension, Swanson, or Metagenics, the companies who support natural medicine. This is the result of Ingredia’s long conviction process based on its work in clinical proof.
This year, in addition to the consumer satisfaction study above quoted, Ingredia’s team saw their study on Lactium®’s mode of action by Benoit et al. published in the review Nutrients. “We hope to carry on bringing reassurance to customers, prescribers and consumers in the coming years, as well as opening new fields for innovation, with the full potential of milk ingredients that are still to be explored,” concludes Tammy.
