Dive Brief:
- Kerry Group acquired DirectSens’ LactoSens technology, a lactose detection test for dairy products. Financial details were not disclosed.
- LactoSens technology — which can verify low and lactose-free claims — is widely used in food and beverage manufacturing. It allows producers to meet regulatory requirements while running their processes more efficiently.
- Executives at the Ireland-based nutrition and ingredients provider said the acquisition will enhance its ability to provide more robust solutions for lactose-free dairy products.
Dive Insight:
DirectSens’ LactoSens technology touts its ability to deliver accurate results without being disrupted by other factors, such as coffee, chocolate or sugars. It also notes it works faster than other tests on the market, maintaining quality maintaining quality of tested dairy products such as milk.
Lactose is a sugar found in milk and other dairy products. Many consumers have found it gives texture and binds water in many food products. Some consumers have found the sugar uncomfortable to digest, giving rise to dairy-free products as well as technologies that can remove the ingredient while maintaining a product’s integrity.
“We’re excited to bring LactoSens into Kerry Group’s portfolio to add a new element to our offering, as we fully integrate LactoSens into our broader solutions for the food and beverage industry,” Ronan Moloney, vice president of enzymes at Kerry, said in a statement.
As the contract manufacturer, DirectSens will continue to oversee the production of LactoSens. The company will also continue to create new products. These include OatSens, which measures the sugar content in oat drinks; LactaZyme, a detector of lactate; and XPressGT, which supports early detection of diabetes and gestational diabetes.
The LactoSens purchase is the most recent acquisition for Kerry as it expands its portfolio of technologies. Last year, it acquired the global lactase enzyme business of Chr. Hansen and Novozymes.
