This is the first time the two dairy cooperatives have partnered as part of a major supply contract. Dale Farm is headquartered in Northern Ireland and will supply Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI), headquartered in Denmark, with whey protein concentrate, which will be used as an ingredient in infant formula and consumer health ingredients.
To meet the increasing global demand for AFI’s specialty products and to continue to increase the value of its whey ingredients business through innovation and extensive know-how, Arla Foods Ingredients is pleased to have secured a contract with Dale Farms.
Arla Foods Ingredients supply chain senior vice president Povl Friis of Arla Foods Ingredients said, “Arla Foods Ingredients is very pleased to have this new partnership with Dale Farm and the opportunity it brings to grow our business and thereby add value for our farmer owners. The two companies share a common vision of how to develop high quality ingredients for the global markets and for Arla, making it a significant next step in our growing ingredients business.”
Dale Farm has until now mainly supplied whey protein for use in sports nutrition products, so this contract repositions this aspect of its business within the infant formula market.
Group operations director for Dale Farm Chris McAlinden said, “This partnership with Arla represents an excellent opportunity to grow our presence in the global whey protein market, adding value to our business for our farmer owners.
“Given that both Dale Farm and Arla are cooperatives, this partnership is good news for the dairy farmers that own both businesses. Through working together, we are utilising our combined expertise and technology to bring a high-quality specialist ingredient into the global whey protein market, creating future opportunity for growth in export markets.”
Further terms of the agreement were not disclosed.