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We source most of our dairy proteins from Fonterra, a large dairy co-operative based in New Zealand that is owned by its farmers.
LEARN MOREWe choose to use natural ingredients with known functions, like berries for antioxidant properties, coffee for energy, electrolytes for hydration and vitamins for their health benefits.
LEARN MOREGrass-fed, free-range dairy provides superior human nutrition when compared to grain-fed dairy.
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Grass is a natural food source for cows. The diet of the cows that supply milk to us is primarily made up of grass (96% on average). We know this because our suppliers, the New Zealand farmers, maintain extensive records on their farming practices, including the cow’s diet and feed consumption. The Fonterra Grass-Fed standard that features on our packaging is independently certified annually by AsureQuality.
New Zealand's natural environment is ideal for growing grass, because of its fertile soil, moderate temperatures and excellent rainfall, as well as abundant sunshine. New Zealand pasture is mostly made up of clover and perennial rye grass, but also includes grass silage, hay, and forage crops in the definition of pasture/grass. The combination of time on pasture and the care and skill of the farmers, means New Zealands milk products are full of flavor (1) and nutrition (2).
1 - Bendall, J.G. 2001. Aroma Compounds of fresh milk from New Zealand cows fed different diets. J. Agric. Food Chem. 49: 4825-4832
2 - Brigitte H. Schwendel, Timothy J. Wester, Patrick C.H. Morel, Bertram Fong, Michael H. Tavendale, Craig Deadman, Nicola M. Shadbolt, Don E. Otter, Pasture feeding conventional cows removes differences between organic and conventionally produced milk, Food Chemistry,Volume 229, 2017, Pages 805-813
Grass is a natural food source for cows and New Zealand is one of the few places in the world where cows can graze on grass year-round.
New Zealand milk production follows a natural pattern of pasture growth; cows begin producing milk at the time when grass growth picks up in early spring (August). Milk production peaks when grass growth rates are the highest (October). Then in the winter, when the grass growth is the lowest (as well as the nutrients it provides), the cows are generally rested.
Pasture based grazing naturally provides a high level of animal welfare and allows cows to socially interact with other cows amongst the herd. Allowing animals to display their natural instincts, in a natural environment reduces stress, reduces sickness, and the need for antibiotic use. Also, because traditional pasture systems follow the seasons, cows rest in winter, and make milk when the sun is shining.
We are on a journey to improve the sustainability of Pounamu Protein; our current goals are to become carbon zero and use more sustainable packaging for our products.
We source non-GMO and/or organic ingredients like goji, maqui berry, maca root and ginger from companies committed to a sustainable future.
The carbon footprint on-farm for Fonterra milk production in New Zealand is 0.78kg CO2-e/kg FPCM (excluding land-use change), 0.91kg CO2-e/kg FPCM including land-use change (3)
The carbon footprint of New Zealand’s milk supply is approximately one-third of the global average of 2.5kg CO2-e/kg FPCM (4), and New Zealand farmers are committed to ongoing efforts to operate responsibly and sustainably.Collectively, we are on a journey to zero emissions and zero waste across our supply chain. We are working to achieve zero waste to landfill and to have all packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
3 - Fonterra Sustainability Report 2019 https://view.publitas.com/fonterra/sustainability-report-2019/page/1
4 - FAO, 2018. “Climate Change and the Global Dairy Cattle Sector”, Report by FAO and GDP, 2018. http://www.fao.org/3/CA2929EN/ca2929en.pdf
We only choose ingredients that come from natural sources, and that includes our flavors and sweeteners. They're always non-GMO and often organic too!
We also try to stick with ingredients that naturally taste good and don't require a lot of flavor masking or blocking. Simplicity is the name of the game, so most of the ingredients that you see in our products are things that are traditionally known to do good - like fruits, vitamins and minerals.
We try not to use ingredients that are "the latest fad" or that seem cool, but taste awful.
