New Image to build dairy plant in New Zealand

Health and wellness products manufacturer New Image Group is to help meet global demand for more nutritional milk products with the building of a multi-million dollar, spray drying plant in New Zealand.

The plant will produce specialist, nutritional products from both fresh milk and pre-processed ingredients. Once it is finished in July, first off the line will be gold standard, wet blended, infant formulas that New Image has developed in response to demand from China and other parts of Asia.

Executive chairman Graeme Clegg says New Image already makes proprietary, dairy-based blends for its own labels and under contract. Many of those products include high grade, bovine colostrum - the pre-milk fluid produced by cows during the first few days after calving that contains a rich cocktail of nutrients and vital immune and growth factors.

"Colostrum has been shown to be effective in helping human bodies repair and heal," Mr Clegg says "New Image's colostrum products are unique in that they use our patented Alpha Lipid liposomal delivery system. The alpha lipid coating protects the colostrum as it goes through the digestive tract and stomach acid and digestive fluids, so that it can reach the small intestine intact and be absorbed efficiently."

New Image's team of scientists is working on other dairy-based blends that target specific health and wellness issues. Intellectual property for a sleep enhancing milk product shown to aid a good night's sleep was recently added to the New Image's portfolio. A product using the sleep enhancing milk peptide has been successfully trialled in Taiwan and its is now being produced for international distribution through New Image's established direct selling channels throughout Asia.

The new spray drying plant's construction also follows a $1.5 million upgrade of New Image's blending and packing plant. That upgrade includes an installation of a can manufacturing plant, high speed powder canning line and a high volume form and fill bagging plant.

Mr Clegg says the strong demand for New Zealand diary-based products shows the country's dairy sector has a clear opportunity to build on an already strong portfolio of products and distribution channels and to create a sustainable, competitive advantage in growing international markets.