1927
Dairy Research Institute of New Zealand Founded
Pioneering the use of technology and championing advances in dairy production, this later becomes the Fonterra Research and Development Centre.
At Fonterra's Research and Development Center (FRDC), innovation is the heart of our mission. For nearly a century, we have been at the forefront of pioneering advancements in dairy technology, driven by our unwavering commitment to delivering sustainable value from New Zealand's world-renowned milk. We focus on all ages and stages of life, while also tackling some of our biggest sustainability challenges and ensuring we produce high quality safe dairy nutrition.
demonstrates our contribution to the academic community and advancement of research.
showcase our commitment to research and development.
indicates our commitment to fostering global connections and leveraging collective expertise for mutual growth and innovation.
Being from a unique nation at the edge of the world, we’ve always had to be resourceful and inventive to compete on the world stage. This mindset has propelled a proud and extensive history of solving that has shaped the global dairy industry – from pioneering milk processing techniques to developing efficiency-driving technologies to delivering more value from every drop of milk, our legacy of innovation speaks for itself.
We know New Zealand milk and the incredible potential it has. Our teams are continuously working to uncover this by creating superior products, improving formulas and performance, and developing innovative technologies. We are focused on innovation from grass to glass, all while adhering to the highest sustainability, food safety and product quality standards.
What we’ve achieved hasn’t happened alone – and nor will our achievements in the future. We know that truly transformative, accelerated innovation happens when like-minded partners and customers collaborate to solve together. Our research and development (R&D) center serves as a global hub for collaboration, bringing together industry experts, partners, and visionaries to tackle complex challenges and drive positive change. By fostering partnerships and knowledge exchange, we aim to accelerate the pace of innovation in the dairy sector.
As we look ahead, our vision remains clear: to lead the way in sustainable dairy innovation. We are committed to creating a brighter, more sustainable future for dairy by continuously developing new and improved products, processes, and technologies that benefit our communities, farmers, customers and the environment.
Amongst our team we have a diverse range of skillsets, knowledge, backgrounds, specialties, and personalities to offer - many are respected and recognised as global leaders in their fields.
Our key areas of focus:
Our expertise at FRDC is made up of 350 staff working in:
We continue to push the boundaries of dairy science and technology solutions. With over 350 employees, we are home to a team of expert scientists, technologists and engineers.
Pioneering the use of technology and championing advances in dairy production, this later becomes the Fonterra Research and Development Centre.
Extended the shelf life of Anhydrous Milk Fat (AMF), allowing cream-based food to be shipped to troops during World War II.
To enable greater automation and continuous processing of cheese, revolutionising cheesemaking all over the world.
We developed and commercialised the world’s first whey protein concentrate to deliver a high concentration of whey protein in powder form.
Achieved what many believed to be impossible by launching the world’s first spreadable butter with Anchor.
To make Milk Protein Concentrate dissolve easily in cold liquids, an important step for making cheese and medical beverages.
We disrupted the global pizza industry by inventing a new way to make mozzarella, dramatically increasing efficiency by reducing production time from three months to just six hours while maintaining product quality and performance.
Read our latest innovation stories to find out how we are creating superior products and technologies in dairy.