Finnish dairy company Valio has seen the launch of two infant nutrition products this spring, both in Finland and abroad, featuring the probiotic lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus Gorbach & Goldin (LGG).
On 1 April this year Valio expanded its domestic range of special infant foods, known as Peptidi Tuttelis, with the launch of an LGG Tutteli product. The new product, currently available throughout Finland, is named Gefilus Peptidi Tutteli, a combination of Valio's Tutteli infant food and its Gefilus LGG brands.
Peptidi Tuttelis has been on the market in Finland since 1995. It is made primarily of hydrolysed whey protein and is designed for infants allergic to milk and soy protein.
However, although Valio's own infant formula remains at home, infants in the rest of Europe are also to have access to LGG. This is due to the simultaneous launch this spring of an LGG infant formula by Mead Johnson, one of the world's biggest makers of infant formula. The company's product, known as 'Nutramigen 2 with LGG', is an extension of an existing Mead Johnson brand.
LGG, exclusively licensed to Valio, can be found in adult dairy foods in 28 countries as well as dietary supplements, according to Valio. First commercialised by Valio in 1990 its success has led to other patent-protected technologies, such as a peptide-based yoghurt which is clinically proven to lower blood pressure and lactose-free milk.