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The DMK Group has officially commissioned a new lactoferrin production facility at its Altentreptow site, marking a significant strategic move into the high-value bioactive dairy ingredients sector.
The €25 million investment by the German dairy cooperative strengthens both the company’s innovation capabilities and the long-term industrial importance of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania location. The facility is expected to begin commercial market supply in autumn 2026.
Lactoferrin, a naturally occurring bioactive milk protein, is increasingly sought after in specialised nutrition, health and pharmaceutical applications, particularly within early life nutrition products such as infant formula.
Due to the technical complexity and stringent quality requirements involved in production, only a limited number of manufacturers worldwide are capable of producing lactoferrin at industrial scale.
Ingo Müller, CEO of the DMK Group, said, "With the lactoferrin plant, we are expanding our portfolio to include a strategically important business segment with high quality standards and growth prospects. The plant demonstrates our technological capabilities and the targeted expansion of existing expertise at the Altentreptow site.”
The company noted that the project builds on years of expertise in protein separation technologies, product safety systems and the manufacture of highly regulated dairy ingredients. Operational implementation was timed to coincide with the alignment of technological maturity, global market demand and regulatory readiness in target export markets.
The investment also reinforces the role of the Altentreptow facility as a hub for advanced milk ingredient technologies within the DMK network.
Alongside the new processing plant, the project included major infrastructure upgrades, including a 655-square-metre production building and a dedicated 130-square-metre chromatography facility designed to support specialised purification processes.
A 30-metre elevated walkway now connects the new building with the existing factory infrastructure to maintain operational efficiency across the site.
Regional officials welcomed the investment as a positive signal for Germany’s rural manufacturing economy.
Dr Wolfgang Blank, minister for economic affairs, infrastructure, tourism and labour in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, said: “The DMK Group’s decision to build a new production plant in Altentreptow is a clear signal of the strength of the location and the region. This investment boosts regional value creation and secures long-term jobs in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.”
Commissioning of the facility began in December 2025, with DMK positioning the operation to support growing international demand for premium functional dairy ingredients.
