Partnership harnesses the power of our protein-rich milk
“The stuff dreams are made of” is how the co-founder of a Waikato-based nutrition company describes working with Fonterra.
Radix Nutrition was founded in 2013 by three former athletes eager to create a company to make products at the forefront of nutritional design with great New Zealand ingredients.
“Fonterra has just been an incredible partner because there’s so much science behind what it does,” says one of those co-founders and current CEO Mike Rudling.
The two companies have worked together for years, perfecting Radix Nutrition’s products with scientific research and nutritional knowledge.
Today their Whey Protein Recovery Smoothies and other products are used extensively by high-performance athletes and sold around New Zealand and abroad. The company is working with several Kiwi athletes in their preparations for world championships.
“From the outset of our relationship, it was amazing to see the genuine passion that the Fonterra team has. They were really excited in what they’re doing and gave us a great insight into the company behind the brand, where the protein comes from, how it’s made, how the factories work, the technical teams, understanding all of the different nutritional properties of dairy, and how to work with that,” says Rudling.
The partnership has yielded some exciting developments, with Fonterra products used in Radix’s leading protein powders, including one that provides a complete amino acid profile with the highest DIAAS score available in the New Zealand market.
We met with the FRDC’s team early on in the picture. From a scientific research perspective, it was like being a kid in a candy shop.
DIAAS stands for “Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score”, which is a global standard related to protein quality that was introduced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation. Based on DIAAS, dairy-sourced proteins, milk protein concentrate and whey protein isolate are ranked higher than 12 other protein sources including soy, pea, kidney beans, wheat, peanuts and corn.
What’s so important about protein?
The Co-operative’s Principal Research Scientist Aaron Fanning, who is based at the Fonterra Research and Development Centre (FRDC) in Palmerston North, says dairy is a great source of protein as it contains all nine essential amino acids, which the body can’t make on its own.
“Dairy products provide excellent levels of all essential amino assets required by the body for growth and maintenance,” says Fanning.
“Science indicates that dairy protein is easily digested and stimulates lean muscle growth to a greater extent than any other protein source.”
Rudling says the FRDC has provided invaluable support.
Radix CEO Mike Rudling explains the value of Fonterra’s ingredients and dairy expertise.
“We met with the FRDC’s team early on in the picture. From a scientific research perspective, it was like being a kid in a candy shop to be able to ask questions such as, ‘We want our product to affect this in the human body, what would be the best technical application of all of the knowledge that exists and how would we best influence or achieve our design target?’ With our protein powder, we didn’t want to make any old protein powder. FRDC’s knowledgeable team helped us define a higher quality protein and the importance of a high DIAAS score.”
Radix Nutrition and FRDC scientists continue to collaborate, including looking at raising the amino acid profile further.
“We’re working on one of the most exciting product concepts we’ve ever seen, designed around cognitive health and wellness. We’re so grateful to work with Fonterra and be able to make high-quality products accessible and educate others about their value,” adds Rudling.
Find out more about NZMP at www.nzmp.com and Radix Nutrition at www.radixnutrition.co.nz.