Fonterra’s NZ$8m upgrade for lactose

19-Jun-2016 - Last updated on 20-Jun-2016 at 10:04 GMT

Fonterra is upgrading its Edgecumbe site to capture lactose from the site's waste stream.

An NZ$8m ($5.6m) upgrade is under way at Fonterra’s Edgecumbe site to capture lactose that previously could not be extracted from the site’s waste stream.

The company says that by creatively applying existing filtration technology, it will double the amount of lactose the site is able to recover in a day, reducing Fonterra’s reliance on imported lactose from overseas suppliers and delivering ongoing cost savings.

Fonterra director New Zealand manufacturing, Mark Leslie says the upgrade is crucial to the cooperative’s ability to provide milk powder globally.

Not only will the upgrade generate savings, Fonterra says that by removing even more solids from the site’s waste water it will also reduce Edgecumbe’s environmental footprint.

Leslie said that reducing emissions and environmental impacts is one of the company’s first considerations.

“This project, and several others planned for the Edgecumbe site in the coming months, demonstrate that ongoing commitment,” Leslie said.