ENEA and Granarolo launch low-sugar lactose-free milk

04-Apr-2018 - Last updated on 04-Apr-2018 at 08:50 GMT

According to Granarolo, the new Granarolo G+ is a "revolution in the milk industry."

From a collaboration between ENEA and Gruppo Granarolo, one of the leading dairy brand in Italy, comes G+milk, which the company says is easily digestible, lactose free and with 30% less sugar than whole milk.

The product was created from a production process patented by ENEA and Granarolo, based on a filtration process breaking down lactose into glucose and galactose and separating the different components in order to obtain a low-sugar milk.

“In order to provide milk with high digestibility and low sugar content, we employed membrane filtration technologies, innovative mechanical processes without the need for solvents or reagents, which allow to preserve the active substances of milk,” said Roberto Balducchi, head of the ENEA bioproducts and bioprocesses laboratory.

Based on research

Massimo Iannetta, head of the ENEA biotechnologies and agroindustry division, said the collaboration with Granarolo group is part of the research and development activities ENEA has conducted for many years in the agroindustry sector at the national level.

“Our technological halls enable us to study, develop and test high-tech solutions to transfer to companies for the innovation of processes and products,” Iannetta said.

The technological process patented by ENEA and Granarolo Group has allowed the creation of a major production line at the Gioia del Colle facility in the Bari province, following an investment of more than €5m ($6.1m).

Angelo Vittorio Zambrini, Gruppo Granarolo, head of quality, innovation, safety, environment, said, “Granarolo G+ is an actual revolution in the milk industry – a unique innovation capable of creating a new product category in response to growing consumers’ needs and changing food trends.”