Growing product offering dairy in Brazil

Companies in the food sector, in particular those that sell milk and its derivatives, have discovered a market that continues to grow: the lactose-free products. This thread is being empowered by consumers with partial or complete inability to digest the milk sugar and derivatives and by sets of functional diets.
The doctor Drauzio Varela, on its website, says that "research shows that 70% of Brazilians have some degree of lactose intolerance, which can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the type of disability presented." This piece gives an idea of the potential being exploited by companies that bet in lactose-free products.
The good news for those who depend on these foods is that there are more and more options. This month, Green Field puts on the market the first fresh cream dairy. Also in August, the dairy Plant Jussara starts zero lactose milk production to replace the low-lactose which markets currently.
"This is still a niche market, but that has grown over 20 percent per year," says Laërtius Barbosa, owner/partner and commercial Director of Jussara, which also meets the line Taeq, of grupo Pão de Açúcar. The company's investment to milk production with zero lactose required an investment of $ 2.5 million.
To do this, was imported a Swedish TetraPak machine making lactose enzyme dosage on the package itself and not in tanks as usual. "We are the first Brazilian company to have this machinery, which gives less change of colouration to milk. In General, the lactose-free milk is usually dark and approaches the caramel color, "says Barbosa.
Jussara milk with low lactose began to be sold in 2012 and current production is 100 thousand liters per month. The expectation is that the new product, with zero content, have monthly volume of 1 million liters. "We realized that there's a migration of consumers from soy milk that are returning to cow's milk," said Barbosa, who in Jussara also has a portfolio with soy-based products 16.
Several brands of milk already adhered to the concept "zero lactose". Among them are Parmalat, Italac, Piracanjuba and Batavo. But in the line of derivatives, until recently the Green Field ruled alone in the market. Its first product was the lactose yoghurt, released in 2011. From then on, the Green field, which has existed since 1999, focused on segment bringing on average two novelties every year. The line has cottage cheese mines LacFree default and Creamcheese. Among the yoghurt, the novelty is the Greek, that went on sale a month ago.
"The biggest challenge is to keep the flavor and texture of products, so that consumers don't have to make a sacrifice," says Alessandro Rios, Director and one of the partners in the Green field. It counts that were invested r $ 3.5 million in innovation and technology for the production of Greek yogurt and in the expansion of the factory of Lavras, in mines. Of that amount, $ 2 million are reinvestment and r $ 1.5 million, BNDES Finame, resources. With the new investments, the Green Field expects to earn $ 90 million this year and about $ 180 million in 2015, combined all rows.
The next release, the fresh cream dairy, is absolute novelty in Brazil. The packaging of 500 grams should cost between R $ 8.90 and 9.90 Reais. Although it does not make a clear distinction between the common thread and LacFree, rivers estimates that zero lactose products are growing 10% above normal and that the main demand is in the Rio-São Paulo.
Multinationals are positioned in the segment. Unilever has milk and soy juices Ades, since 1996. Nestlé included in the portfolio, in 2011, the nest Low Lactose, a milk powder with 90% less lactose than the original version. The consumer is also child bet made by Danone, which has similar products: Aptamil milk powder Lactose-free and two types of Aptamil soya.
In Sao Paulo, a reference to measure the importance of this market is the Casa Santa Luzia, a luxury grocery store with one of the largest special product offerings. Today, the Santa Luzia sells about 300 items between milk, dairy lactose, cakes, biscuits and chocolates. "It's a market much more recent than the gluten free, but which has grown impressively to 2012 here," says the nutritionist of Santa Luzia, Ana Fanelli.
On the mezzanine of the shop there are two refrigerators with five shelves each, devoted to these products. Among the imported goods, the supply has grown, pushed by demand. A container per year, says Ana, was enough-now there are three. A few years ago, the choices were few and expensive as the imported milk almond based, rice or oatmeal. A liter of milk hazelnut paste of Italian Isola Bio costs $ 19.90.
The market also grows to about diets that preach the abolition of lactose. Is because it helps to lose weight or because the milk went on to be seen by a stream of doctors, as a food that should be avoided by adults. It remains to be seen whether it will be a fad or a trend that is here to stay.