Important Notice

Breast milk is the preferred way to feed a baby and is important for baby's health. Introducing partial bottle feeding could negatively affect breast feeding. Professional advice should be sought before using an infant formula. Good maternal nutrition is important for breastfeeding and reversing a decision not to breast-feed can be difficult.

Proper use of an infant formula product is important to the health of the infant. Infant formulas should be used as directed.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) adopted the International Code of Marketing Breast-milk Substitutes in 1981.

The aim of the Code is to contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants, by the protection and promotion of breast-feeding, and by ensuring the proper use of breast-milk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate information and through appropriate marketing and distribution.

As a responsible manufacturer of infant formula, DGC (Dairy Goat Co-operative (N.Z.) Ltd) support the Code and unequivocally supports breastfeeding as the best source of nutrition for babies and infants.

All information on following pages about infant formulas is provided for educational and informational purposes only.

 

DGC are the originators of commercialised infant formula from goats’ milk. Since that breakthrough in 1988 we have continued to lead clinical advances in this field. We are now in more markets than any other goat milk infant formula.

The science of goat milk

Milk is made up of protein, fat, carbohydrate, water, minerals and vitamins.

Made without Palm Oil

DGC has adopted an alternative approach, using whole milk to retain milk fat.

Infant formula

At DGC our process begins with whole goat milk to retain the milk fat before adding lactose, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

Infant growth and development

DGC has conducted two double blinded randomised control trials of goat formula1 and one prospective co-hort study2 in new born infants.

Product Benefits

Digestibility

It is well known that goat milk produces a very loose curd structure with a high proportion of water and is easily broken apart.

Intestinal health

Studies show that goat milk reduces intestinal permeability1 and intestinal inflammation.

Bone strength

Goat milk is naturally rich in calcium and other minerals.

Lactose Intolerance

Goat milk contains oligosaccharides similar in structure to human milk oligosaccharides.

Reduced allergenic burden

There is a common belief that goat milk is a sound alternative for infants or children with cow milk protein allergy.

Find out more

Allergy

There is a common belief that goat milk is a sound alternative for infants or children with cow milk protein allergy. This has resulted in the promotion of goat milk and goat milk products for relief of allergy. However, scientific studies show that goat milk is not always an effective substitute for cow milk in children who are already sensitised to cow milk protein and have a rapid onset, IgE-mediated reaction to cow milk proteins. Only extensively hydrolysed formulas should be used for the dietary management of infants with diagnosed cow milk protein allergy.1

There are several lines of evidence that the strength and type of the immune response to goat and cow milk might still differ. For example, children allergic to cow milk required nearly five times more goat milk to trigger an adverse reaction.2 In another study, 25% of children allergic to cow milk did not react to goat milk at all.3 Children with allergy to cow milk proteins had a lower response to goat milk containing low amounts of αs1-casein.4 Similarly, studies with animals have also shown that lower levels of αs1-casein in goat milk resulted in fewer allergic reactions.5

Further research will help to understand how people might respond differently to goat or cow milk.

Until such studies have been completed, it is important that goat milk infant formula is not promoted as a remedy for infants with severe reactions to cow milk.

1 AAP 2000; Koletzko et al, 2012
2 Bellioni-Businco et al 1999
3 Infante et al 2003
4 Ballabio et al, 2011; Albenzio et al 2012; Lisson et al 2014
5 Bevilacqua et al 2001; Hodgkinson et al 2012

Co-operation

We are a co-operative, owned by the farmers who supply goat milk. We believe in the enduring value of the co-operative model and our objective is to grow the wealth and security of our farmer shareholders, while at the same time providing consumers with a world-leading premium quality product.

Co-operative is also a word we use to describe our business style, which is built around sustainable and long-term relationships with our partners.

We believe that goat milk is the best base from which to make infant formula. It is not the cheapest, or the most commonly available, but we do believe it is the best.

We take our responsibility seriously to deliver safe and effective nutrition to infants and young children all around the world, and to deliver brands and products that parents trust.

Animal Welfare and Health

New Zealand has a strict Code of Welfare for Goats. It specifies what is considered to be optimal animal welfare and how this may be achieved for goats farmed under New Zealand conditions. DGC farms are required to follow the New Zealand Code of Welfare for Goats as well as DGC’s own Code of Farm Practice.

Warehousing and Distribution

Warehousing and distribution are the final phase of the process. Finished and filled cans are held in the warehouse until final, independent testing is completed so that the product can be safely released.

Once released, the cans are loaded and driven to Port Tauranga for export.