News

Prebiotics from lactose new growth area for dairy

The director of the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center says new innovations with lactose could substantially help the dairy industry.

Lloyd Metzger, a professor at South Dakota State University, tells Brownfield research is underway to convert lactose from milk into prebiotics.

“The ongoing work is about creating these prebiotics that can be used in everything from infant formula to really any food product that are going to help those good bacteria in your colon and help you be healthier.”     

He says there are also application for lactose prebiotics in animal feed.

“Prebiotics that will help these calves transition from milk to starter, help their growth rate, weight gain, frame and a lot of factors that help with the future health of that cow.”      

He says researchers are currently in the testing phase with livestock and expects something on the market in the very near future while products for human consumption are still a few years away.