While overseeing Fonterra’s large Asia-Pacific division, Judith Swales acknowledges Fonterra’s latest consumer wellness project is also something of a pet one for her that extends back over many years.
A microbiologist by training, she has always had an interest in the role dairy can play over and above the conventional health solutions of providing base minerals including the likes of calcium.
The co-op’s foray into the emerging wellness area of cognition and brain health also has its roots back in the company’s long association with paediatric nutrition.
But this project has gone further down the aging timeline, tapping into solutions for age and lifestyle-related decline in brain function.
Three trademarked “nutrient bundles” have been developed to support cognition, visual performance and mood.
They’re based on buttermilk powder, comprised of a blend of fresh dairy cream and skim milk, which is known for its high phospholipid content.
Phospholipids play a vital role in biological processes, including cell membrane formation.
The human brain is one of the richest tissues in terms of phospholipid content and the compounds provide structural integrity for cell surfaces and proteins, acting as a barrier to prevent the entry of all molecules into the tissue.
Phospholipids that are incorporated into the likes of infant formula play a vital role in helping with connections within the brain as babies grow.
But at later stages of life and in various occupations those connections can decline, affecting cognitive health and mental stamina.
The product development has been underpinned by researchers sourcing combinations of dairy and plant-based compounds in the three nutrient packages.
The ThinkSharp nutrient bundle includes a compound, phosphatidylserine (PS).
It is a key brain nutrient known to be low in the average diet.
Higher PS levels have been proven to support cognition over time, including memory focus, mental processing and creativity.
The Pro-Sight bundle includes plant-based carotenoids known to help with eye tissue regeneration.
Its development was a response to modern work patterns that demand greater screen time and increased blue light exposure.
Blue light is proven to cause eye strain and degeneration, while also affecting the body’s ability to sleep due to its melatonin-blocking effect.
The StresLes formulation includes vitamin C, riboflavin and vitamin B6 to support more stable brain function and better fatigue management.
Swales says the work represents a new step in the company’s approach to human wellness solutions, delivering far more targeted products for specific health issues.
“And we will be taking it a step further as we learn more about the brain-gut health axis, that interaction between brain health and the gut, including developments in our probiotic compounds.”
Accompanying the combinations, the researchers have also developed an online cognitive assessment platform for consumers to assess themselves before and after using the products.
The online assessment has been trialled across 3000 people from a wide cross section of participants that includes members of the NZ badminton team, a sport known to require an exceptionally rapid eye-brain-muscle response.
“They take the assessment again eight weeks after starting on the products and a high percentage have reported significant improvements in behaviour and performance.”
While not clinically proven yet, the combination packages contain compounds already clinically proven for their health benefits.
Swales says rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, Fonterra has focused on working alongside companies with established reputations in the complex nutrient space, including an Israeli company specialising in soy-sourced phospholipids and a company that develops targeted capsulated products.
“And we are also taking an approach that is behaving closer to that of a start up rather than a large multinational company, trying an MVP (Minimal Viable Product) approach.”
This involves working closely with likely consumers at an early stage, in a lean approach testing frequently against the target audience through its early development stages.
The first nutrient bundle products will launch in New Zealand initially in coming weeks and are being marketed as powders.
