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Our milk story

A GIFT OF NATURE


We know how much care you take to give your child every chance to grow well, stay healthy, and thrive in life. That is why, at Nestlé Health Science, we take pride in helping you give your child high quality oral nutritional supplements. We make it our mission to support you by sourcing ingredients of the finest quality, including the milk we use in several of our nutritional solutions, because we believe milk is one of nature’s greatest gifts that provides us with natural vital nourishment.1-4


MILK IS OUR HERITAGE!


Milk is the foundation of our company and has been central to our paediatric oral nutritional supplements for over 50 years. Today, milk and milk-based ingredients are still our principal and most precious raw materials and play a central role in our commitment to “Empowering healthier lives through nutrition”.


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WHAT MAKES NUTREN® JUNIOR’S MILK SO EXCEPTIONAL?


cows

Our new Nutren® Junior contains high quality milk sourced from Finland’s Valio® group in northern Europe,5 providing children with a great taste and texture that only such clean and premium milk can offer.6-11 It is the product of Finland’s wholesome nature, where some of the purest milk is produced worldwide.12


Finland’s cows are considered to be the healthiest in the European Union and among the healthiest in the world.13,14 They are grass-fed in natural pastures, and their milk is non-GMO and contains no antibiotics residue.10 It is no surprise then that Nutren® Junior’s milk has been classified among the cleanest worldwide, having received the highest quality rating.15


Production transparency is essential to Valio®.14 The milk used in Nutren® Junior is therefore fully traceable, right back to its farm of origin, and is subject to strict quality controls at multiple points along its journey, from farm to dairy, guaranteeing that it meets high safety and quality standards.7


OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY


Valio® has been ranked Finland’s most sustainable brand since 2014, based on the importance it places on social equity and environmental issues, animal welfare, and innovation.16 At Nestlé Health Science, we uphold these values wholly and are confident that thanks to our strong partnership with our supplier, we can ensure the excellence of Nutren® Junior’s milk.


A milk supplier built on human development


Valio® is a cooperative-based company and is owned by its 4,300 dairy farmers, all members of one of the group’s 14 cooperatives across Finland.17 The group redistributes all its operating profits to its farmers, creating around 30,000 employments.17 This fosters social cohesion, human development, autonomy and freedom, which all contribute to a positive sense of life satisfaction. These qualities and others create what is known as ‘Nordic Exceptionalism’ and have helped make Finland the happiest nation since 2017, according to the 2020 World Happiness Report.18


Actively caring for the environment


The cooperative has ambitious climate targets, with the goal to be carbon neutral dairy by 2035.14 To achieve this, Valio® farmers have adopted a number of measures including, among others, producing their own biogas from cow manure to replace fossil fuels, developing plant-based packaging, carbon farming (using the right farming methods and plant choices to bind carbon in soil), and feeding their cows grass instead of soy.14

Actively caring for the environment

Taking care of every precious cow

Taking care of every precious cow


By the end of 2019, 75% of Valio®’s cows moved about freely and grazed as a herd, which contributes to their welfare.15 This number continues to grow, in part thanks to the adding of the requirement for new barns to be built as free stalls in Valio®’s Milk Production Guidelines. And to be healthy, cows must be well looked after, that is why the farmers also take constant care of their cows’ health and wellbeing, ensuring excellent milking hygiene and udder health.15 From the beginning of 2021, all Valio®’s dairy farms are now paid a sustainability bonus for practicing preventive animal healthcare and systematic monitoring of animal welfare.19


Innovation at the heart of sustainability


Sustainability does not happen overnight and Valio®’s research and development unit is always looking for innovative solutions to improve milk production. Around 300 of Valio®’s farmers have been trained in methods to cut milk production carbon dioxide emissions and slow climate change. This farming method aims to capture carbon dioxide in grass crops, improve soil quality and provide an excellent food source for the cows.20


In its goal to become carbon-neutral by 2035, Valio® was the first to introduce fully plant-based cartons.20,21 With around 250 million plant-based cartons a year, they have been able to cut carbon emissions by 3,140 tonnes a year and help consumers make sustainable choices.21,22

Innovation at the heart of sustainability


NATURE’S GOODNESS THAT YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN WILL LOVE


NATURE’S GOODNESS THAT YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN WILL LOVE

Nutren® Junior’s milk therefore combines all of the goodness of Finland’s nature with modern technology to guarantee that it is of the best possible quality.6-10 Its skimmed milk powder has that great sweet creamy taste of milk that children love so much.8 This high quality milk has allowed us to reduce the added sugar content in Nutren® Junior while preserving its deliciousness.8


Kids will love the taste, and parents will love to see their child grow well to be great in life!


nutren junior packshon

Learn more about Nutren® Junior


References:

  1. Marangoni F, et al. J Am Coll Nutr. 2019;38(3):197-208.
  2. Grenov B and Michaelsen KF. Food Nutr Bull. 2018;39(2 Suppl):S45-S53.
  3. Kling SMR, et al. Appetite. 2016;105:509-18.
  4. Davoodi SH, et al. Iran J Pharm Res. 2016;15(3):573-91.
  5. Valio®. Available at: https://www.valio.com/
  6. Valio® products and ingredients. Available at: https://www.valio.com/food-solutions-for-companies/ingredients/
  7. Valio® milk powders. Available at: https://www.valio.com/food-solutions-for-companies/ingredients/milk-powders/
  8. Valio® lactose free milk powders. Available at: https://www.valio.com/food-solutions-for-companies/ingredients/lactose-free-milk-powders/
  9. What makes Valio® milk the best. Available at: https://www.valio.com/food-solutions-for-companies/articles/what-makes-valio-milk-the-best/
  10. Valio® to introduce milk from free-range cows in Finland. Available at: https://www.valio.com/news/valio-to-introduce-milk-from-free-range-cows-in-finland/
  11. We are Valio®. Number one in sustainability. Available at: https://www.valio.com/we-are-valio/
  12. Valio® history. Available at: https://www.valio.com/we-are-valio/history/
  13. Farmer owned. Milk of the highest quality. Available at: https://www.valio.com/we-are-valio/farmer-owned/
  14. Valio® aims at carbon neutral dairy by 2035. Available at: https://www.valio.com/news/valio-aims-at-carbon-neutral-dairy-by-2035/
  15. Animal welfare. Top-quality milk. Available at: https://www.valio.com/sustainability/animal-welfare/

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