A dairy farm in Northern Thailand has embraced innovation to develop new dairy products, such as its award-winning lactose-free gelato with gold longan.

Innovation is at the forefront of the food business, and as more competitors emerge in both domestic and international markets, food producers are seeking innovative techniques to make their products stand out from other brands.

Chiangmai Fresh Milk, with the company’s dairy cow farm located in the North of Thailand, started its business in 1992, steadily growing its production until the company began exporting dairy products in 2013. Today, the company is shifting its focus to lactose-free dairy products to cater for lactose-intolerant consumers looking for great locally-made products.

Yuwaporn Na Chiangmai, Research and Development Manager at Chiangmai Fresh Milk reveals that the company’s “Lactose-Free Gelato Gold Longan” has been selected as one of the TOP Innovative Products at ThaiFEX 2019 due to its unique characteristics.

“Our gelato ice cream is made from lactose-free milk with gold longan, so people who are lactose intolerant can enjoy this treat,” says Na Chiangmai. “The gelato contains no added sugar, just the natural sweetness from longan.”

She adds that gold longan was chosen as a flavour because the company was looking for a way to help farmers in Northern provinces, such as Lamphun and Chiang Mai, who often face an oversupply of the fruit and to promote the use of local produce. Other seasonal gelato flavours from Chiangmai Fresh Milk include mango, strawberry and lychee.

According to Na Chiangmai, the company employs technology to help with the manufacturing processes. For example, its cutting-edge automatic milking system is designed to milk 64 cows simultaneously, ensuring the freshness of dairy products as it takes only 15 minutes for the entire milking process.

Meanwhile, Chiangmai Fresh Milk’s farm located in Lamphun province is considered a green farm as it utilises environmentally- and ecologically-friendly farm management methods.

Chiangmai Fresh Milk has received positive feedback from its customers especially at its branch located in Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital.

“With new health trends, people are now more aware of lactose-free products and are looking for alternatives that suit their needs and lifestyles,” says Na Chiangmai.

 Photo courtesy of Chiangmai Fresh Milk
 For more information, visit http://cmfreshmilk.com/index-en.html

 Words by Pimsirinuch Borsub