A Sunshine Coast-based food technology company has begun consumer trials of a world-first milk that stays fresh for 60 days – and revealed when it will be available.
Coolum-based Naturo’s patented process is considered the biggest breakthrough in the global milk industry since pasteurisation in 1864.
It is set to revolutionise the dairy industry and create huge export opportunities as standard Australian milk perishes after 14 days, preventing it from being shipped to lucrative markets, like Asia.
Called Wholey Milk, it is 100 per cent natural fresh milk with nothing added: no preservatives, additives or chemicals. It has a shelf life of 60 days and, once opened, will stay fresh for 21 days when refrigerated.
The innovation was revealed in 2019 and Naturo told Sunshine Coast News that its product was surging ahead – and our region was playing a vital role.
“Consumer trials are currently underway to evaluate the unique nutritional advantages and great taste of Wholey Milk,” a spokesperson said.
“Our trials are overseen by a dietitian and involve a week of drinking our product and completing a short pre and post health survey. Participants are from the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.”
Naturo’s Coolum operation has been expanded, with the firm recently moving into a new facility and building a pilot milk factory, which is now operating.
The company is producing Wholey Milk for the consumer trials from its Coolum headquarters, which is now Naturo’s official research and development facility.
Milk being used to produce the pilot Wholey Milk is locally sourced from the Mary Valley.
A new capital raising venture is being launched with Naturo seeking $25 million in equity to build a full-scale commercial production facility in Tasmania.
“Wholey Milk should be available for consumer purchase and export in late 2022/early 2023,” a spokesperson said.
“Naturo is also looking to apply Haelen Technology to other animal milk products.”
Naturo Founder and CEO, Jeff Hastings – a qualified agricultural engineer with more than 30 years’ experience in global agribusiness – is the man behind the ground-breaking “Haelen method” of processing.
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Mr Hastings said it delivered a safe-to-drink milk that was higher in nutrients and tasted closer to the natural taste of milk.
He said the method killed more pathogens than pasteurisation making it safer than traditional methods, and was the only known method that killed Bacillus cereus, a common pathogen in milk.
Naturo’s processing innovation has been independently tested and validated and approved by industry regulator, Dairy Food Safety Victoria.
The global dairy industry is worth more than $US410 billion ($A585 billion), with milk being the biggest category.
Mr Hastings previously developed processing technology for sliced apples for the international market and, more recently, commercialised processing technology that produces “no-browning” cut avocado.
Naturo’s Natavo Avocado products are still going strong and despite the impacts of COVID, are being sold around the world.
In fact, demand is exceeding supply with the company building a new processing facility in Mexico. This will come online in 2022 and boost the production of avocado products (including frozen sliced avocado, avocado chunks and smashed avocado portions) ten-fold and permit easier supply to the Northern Hemisphere, particularly the US market.
More details: www.naturotechnologies.com/milk
