Milk nutrition for a modern world

Our differentiated milk supply enables us to manufacture specialty products with a higher value. Special milk programmes require farmers to add value for our customers behind the farm gate, such as a1 protein-free, grass fed, and Lead With Pride™. We recognise this value by paying premiums on top of our base milk price. We can select the milk we want from specific farms and keep this milk completely separate through the entire supply chain – this is our point of difference.

To become the world’s most innovative and trusted dairy company, we have identified opportunities to unlock further potential from our manufacturing process. The establishment of our research and development centre in Palmerston North alongside Massey University and FoodPILOT is one. We have also invested in category management capability at Synlait Dunsandel to support increased business development in existing and new categories.

Synlait Dunsandel collects more than 800 million litres of milk each year. It is capable of processing 4.2 million litres of raw milk per day, from which up to 450 – 500 metric tonnes of milk powder can be produced. We have three leading-edge milk powder dryers and a purpose-built infant formula facility – the largest and most sophisticated in the Southern Hemisphere. We have a second similar site in Pokeno which is capable of processing 1.5 million litres of raw milk per day for Skim Milk Powder and 1.3 million litres of raw milk per day for Whole Milk Powder from which up to 180 metric tonnes of milk powder can be produced.

We operate a state-of-the-art facility in Dunsandel that produces 140 cans of infant formula a minute, and is operational 24/7. We have second consumer packaging facility in Auckland, built to the same high specifications with the same processing capability. Both locations give us a packaging capacity of 56,000 MT.

As well as having a dedicated chemistry laboratory, a microbiology laboratory and in-process laboratories inside each dryer, we complete most of our product testing requirements on-site. Our own laboratory gives us greater control and visibility around our products and we benefit from having substantial technical competence on-site.

We have a strong Regulatory team at Synlait, which includes a team in New Zealand and dedicated teams in Beijing and Shanghai. The teams are experts in New Zealand and China food legislation and the Market Access requirements for 50+ markets that Synlait exports to. The team have embedded industry networks and relationships with key Regulators in New Zealand, China and abroad. Their main function is to enable Market Access by obtaining; site, ingredient, product and artwork approvals.