LycoRed marketing director Udi Alroy recently called infant formula "a strategic growth engine" for the Israel company's premix business.
Compatriot Materna is said to be the leading infant formula company in Israel. But with the Materna Big milk product that it has collaborated on, LycoRed has helped it step up to products aimed at older children aged two-and-a-half to eight - an important demographic for child-focused companies who wish to continue catering to their core consumers as they grow up.
Alroy said that to meet the challenge of marrying up children's and parents' requirements, the company selected the highest quality vitamins and masked the unpleasant vitamin/mineral taste in the finished product, which comes in chocolate, strawberry and banana flavours.
Aimed at supporting development, immune system and digestion, the product contains 23 vitamins and minerals, probiotics and fibre. It is also said to have improved solubility and extended shelf-life.
Other recent evidence of the importance of infant formula for LycoRed's premix business with a new lipid formulation facility at its UK plant allowing it use omega-3 and other oils in infant products as well as in cereals, its previous area of focus.
Alongside its premix facilities, LycoRed's business includes carotenoids, microencapsulation and beadleting at facilities in Israel, Switzerland and the US.
