Latest news with #dairyinnovation
Globe and Mail
23-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Yili Secures Four World Dairy Innovation Awards at the 18th Global Dairy Congress
AMSTERDAM , /CNW/ -- On June 18–19, the Global Dairy Congress 2025 was held in Amsterdam . At the forum, Dr. Ignatius Szeto, Assistant President of Yili Group, delivered a keynote speech titled " Innovating for a sustainable future " and shared Yili's latest innovative practices. On the opening day, the organizers unveiled the winners of the 2025 World Dairy Innovation Awards. Yili secured four World Dairy Innovation Awards and six commended Awards. Notably, Yili has claimed the World Dairy Innovation Awards for six consecutive years. Dr. Carolien van Loo , Head of Yili Innovation Center Europe, attended a roundtable forum on maternal and infant nutrition and breast milk research. Multiple star products from Yili's top infant formula brand, Pro-Kido, were featured as the Congress's officially designated products. At the Industry Leadership Forum, Dr. Ignatius Szeto systematically introduced Yili's global innovation practices across product innovation, maternal and infant nutrition, advanced dairy processing, and sustainable development. He emphasized: "Innovation is the driving force behind the sustainable prosperity of the dairy industry. Remaining consumer-centric, Yili dedicates itself to nutrition and health research across the full life cycle, keeps making core technological breakthroughs, and accelerates the commercialization of fundamental research outcomes—all of which contribute to the advancement of the global dairy sector." During the roundtable forum themed "Innovation in Pioneering a New Future for Global Maternal and Infant Health", Dr. Ignatius Szeto and Dr. Carolien van Loo engaged in in-depth discussions with experts including Jean-Christophe Kremer , Secretary-General of the International Special Dietary Foods Industries, and Richard Hall , Chair of FoodBev Media. The discussions focused on research about breast milk and maternal and infant nutrition. Dr. Carolien van Loo highlighted that Yili Innovation Center Europe, in collaboration with institutions such as Wageningen University and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, has conducted pioneering research on HMOs. Their breakthrough findings demonstrated HMOs' health benefits in enhancing immunity, protecting gut barrier function, preventing pathogen adhesion, and promoting cognitive development. The annual World Dairy Innovation Awards were announced at the event. This year, Yili Group secured four awards for its high-quality products and outstanding performance in innovation. Zhenlao Light Cream from Yijiahao Cheese won the Best Artisan Product, Joyday Crunchy Choco Lava was awarded Best Ice Cream, Yili's patented multi-enzymatic lactose-to-GOS technology: Boosting Gut Health in Qinghuo Adult Milk Powder claimed the Best Intolerance-Friendly Innovation, and Satine Carbon-Reduced Organic Milk won the Best CSR/Sustainability Initiative. Staying true to its philosophy of "No Innovation, No Future," Yili consistently increases its R&D investment to provide comprehensive nutrition solutions for consumers across the full life cycle. To date, Yili has established 15 innovation centers across Asia , Europe , and Oceania. Moving forward, Yili will continue to align its strategy with consumer needs, drive growth through technological innovation, and foster global partnerships to deliver enhanced health value for consumers worldwide, aiming to enable the sustainable prosperity of the dairy industry.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Yili Secures Four World Dairy Innovation Awards at the 18th Global Dairy Congress
AMSTERDAM, June 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 18–19, the Global Dairy Congress 2025 was held in Amsterdam. At the forum, Dr. Ignatius Szeto, Assistant President of Yili Group, delivered a keynote speech titled "Innovating for a sustainable future" and shared Yili's latest innovative practices. On the opening day, the organizers unveiled the winners of the 2025 World Dairy Innovation Awards. Yili secured four World Dairy Innovation Awards and six commended Awards. Notably, Yili has claimed the World Dairy Innovation Awards for six consecutive years. Dr. Carolien van Loo, Head of Yili Innovation Center Europe, attended a roundtable forum on maternal and infant nutrition and breast milk research. Multiple star products from Yili's top infant formula brand, Pro-Kido, were featured as the Congress's officially designated products. At the Industry Leadership Forum, Dr. Ignatius Szeto systematically introduced Yili's global innovation practices across product innovation, maternal and infant nutrition, advanced dairy processing, and sustainable development. He emphasized: "Innovation is the driving force behind the sustainable prosperity of the dairy industry. Remaining consumer-centric, Yili dedicates itself to nutrition and health research across the full life cycle, keeps making core technological breakthroughs, and accelerates the commercialization of fundamental research outcomes—all of which contribute to the advancement of the global dairy sector." During the roundtable forum themed "Innovation in Pioneering a New Future for Global Maternal and Infant Health", Dr. Ignatius Szeto and Dr. Carolien van Loo engaged in in-depth discussions with experts including Jean-Christophe Kremer, Secretary-General of the International Special Dietary Foods Industries, and Richard Hall, Chair of FoodBev Media. The discussions focused on research about breast milk and maternal and infant nutrition. Dr. Carolien van Loo highlighted that Yili Innovation Center Europe, in collaboration with institutions such as Wageningen University and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, has conducted pioneering research on HMOs. Their breakthrough findings demonstrated HMOs' health benefits in enhancing immunity, protecting gut barrier function, preventing pathogen adhesion, and promoting cognitive development. The annual World Dairy Innovation Awards were announced at the event. This year, Yili Group secured four awards for its high-quality products and outstanding performance in innovation. Zhenlao Light Cream from Yijiahao Cheese won the Best Artisan Product, Joyday Crunchy Choco Lava was awarded Best Ice Cream, Yili's patented multi-enzymatic lactose-to-GOS technology: Boosting Gut Health in Qinghuo Adult Milk Powder claimed the Best Intolerance-Friendly Innovation, and Satine Carbon-Reduced Organic Milk won the Best CSR/Sustainability Initiative. Staying true to its philosophy of "No Innovation, No Future," Yili consistently increases its R&D investment to provide comprehensive nutrition solutions for consumers across the full life cycle. To date, Yili has established 15 innovation centers across Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Moving forward, Yili will continue to align its strategy with consumer needs, drive growth through technological innovation, and foster global partnerships to deliver enhanced health value for consumers worldwide, aiming to enable the sustainable prosperity of the dairy industry. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Yili Group Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Entrepreneur
26-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Butter, Boldness, and British Farming
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. All Things Butter - with its Instagram-rooted origins, chef-crafted recipes, and striking packaging - was born not just out of passion, but from a pointed dissatisfaction with the supermarket shelves. "Our initial inspiration for the business was born from the lack of innovation we were seeing on supermarket shelves and in the dairy industry," Hopkinson explains. "We wanted to launch a brand that appealed more to a modern consumer versus everything else that was currently in the market." That discontent turned into disruption. The duo wasn't content with simply offering unsalted and salted varieties; they dove headfirst into flavour. "Within the mass market, we were one of the only brands to innovate and experiment with different flavoured butters when we first launched," he says. "Now we see that other brands are starting to jump on board - for example, Tesco has just launched their own flavoured butter range." But while competitors are catching up, All Things Butter keeps charging ahead. "Last year we released our first sweet butter - the delicious Cinnamon Bun flavour - which was the first sweet-flavoured butter on the market and then launched the category's first chocolate butter." Their innovations aren't limited to flavour. Hopkinson is acutely aware of the industry they're operating in - one with systemic challenges, especially for those at the start of the supply chain. "We also saw the opportunity to shake up the dairy industry - not only to bring innovative flavours to consumers but to support British farmers," he says. "All Things Butter donates 1% of its revenue to RABI to support the farming sector with financial, emotional and practical help." It's a point of pride that goes beyond optics. "Farming is one of the toughest professions, and it is a particularly tough time in history for the industry... All Things Butter wants to form deeper relationships with the community and support the incredible industry at a time when they truly need it." That commitment didn't come easily. Finding a farming partner willing to back the vision of two Londoners with a dream of a butter brand was, at times, a humbling process. "There are quite a few funny stories about when Thomas and I were trying to sell the dream of two chaps from London wanting to sell our butter business to multi-generational farms... we got laughed out of the majority of those rooms." Fortunately, Brue Valley, one of the oldest dairy farms in Britain, saw past the branding and city polish. "They truly believed in what we were trying to do and saw that we really wanted to add value to a category that has essentially lacked innovation for many years." Hopkinson is honest about their early missteps. "I think the lesson we learned from this was perhaps we were a bit too bullish in our approach to the farmers… I've learnt that we needed to be a bit more adaptable rather than coming in with a quite modern approach from the get-go." More recently, All Things Butter - like the entire dairy industry - faced a new kind of test. "Another more recent challenge... was the commodity price of cream skyrocketed due to a shortage of milk from cows," he says. Thanks to Brue Valley, "we were well-placed to deal with this challenge and continue to provide our customers with organic, British butter." But it has taken creative problem-solving and operational adjustments to navigate the crisis. "We had to come up with innovative ways to maximise efficiency within the supply chain and mitigate that risk." The broader economic landscape is also shaping their strategy. "With rising inflation and a persistent cost of living crisis, we've had to be extremely mindful of how we price and position our products," Hopkinson says. "Consumers are feeling the pinch... We're planning to launch a more cost-effective product line later this year that delivers the same commitment to quality, just at a more accessible price point." Still, the brand remains as trendsetting as ever. "We don't want to just follow trends in the food and beverage industry - we want to create them!" Hopkinson declares. Being born on social media - where the brand first took off through Straker's butter-focused videos - gives All Things Butter a powerful edge. "Our social channels provide us with a direct route to our customers and their feedback… This helps guide us when considering new product developments and helps us stay ahead of the curve." So what would Hopkinson tell those considering their own leap into the entrepreneurial unknown? "Startups need a great idea, the right timing, the right skills, and a fair bit of luck," he says with characteristic candour. "There are so many talented startups that... don't succeed due to factors beyond their control." Yet, belief matters. "We turned our idea into a reality through having confidence in the idea... This confidence in the concept is what really enabled me to use my evenings, weekends and holidays to go out and put money where our mouth is." And the most critical skill? Knowing when to leap. "As an entrepreneur, you have to be able to pull the trigger on some ideas and not just say yes to everything." In a market slow to change, All Things Butter has proved that even something as everyday as a pat of butter can be a vehicle for innovation, connection, and - just maybe - revolution.
