Australian dairy giant promises permeate-free milk revolution

24-Jun-2012 - Last updated on 26-Jun-2012 at 04:32 GMT

Related tags Australia New south wales

Lion hopes to make a splash with permeate-free milk

Australian beverage heavyweight Lion has made the first major move towards disrupting the milk manufacturing process by offering permeate-free milk under its brands.

Lion said that beginning 1 July, consumers of the country’s two largest brands, Pura Milk and Dairy Farmers (which it owns) would be offered without permeate, a watery by-product of milk production.

Calling the step the greatest transformation in the milk manufacturing process in more than 100 years, the company said that its consumers would now be able to choose milk that is as close to how it is on a farm as possible.

Lion said that in omitting permeate, it had responded to consumer demand for purer, simpler and less processed food that come from local sources in Australia’s western and southern states.

“We have listened to our consumers. Three out of four told us they’re becoming more concerned about how processed their food is,” said Libby Hay, external relations director at Lion.

Lower processing no-brainer

An online survey conducted this year by TNS among 16-64 year-old Australians revealed that nine out of ten Australians who check for additives and preservatives and the level of processing a product has undergone, would choose a less-processed option if available.

“We looked at our manufacturing process and realised that adding permeate was not essential, so it was an easy decision to remove it from our milk. By not using permeate, the natural seasonal variations in protein will flow through into our rich, creamy milk, providing a product that is the purest quality milk,” said Hay.

The company said that consumers should look out for the ‘permeate free’ label on PURA milk in Western Australia, Southern Australia, Victoria and Tasmania and Dairy Farmers in New South Wales and Queensland.

Geraldine Georgeou, an Australia-based dietician said that removing it is a great initiative because it gives consumers another option.

“Consumers are demanding high standards when it comes to the food and beverages they give to their loved ones, with recent research into food trends highlighting almost half need to know where their food comes from as well as what’s in it,” she said.