Nestlé has initiated a multi-year collaborative project with Helaina, a US-based biotech firm. The partnership focuses on advancing precision-fermented lactoferrin for infant nutrition. This strategic innovation aims to deeply understand new bioactive proteins and their impact on early-life development to ensure specific health benefits.
Central to this collaboration is Helaina's effera, a human-identical lactoferrin produced through precision fermentation. This process involves a yeast strain expressing human DNA, mirroring how the pharmaceutical industry develops human insulin. Helaina introduced effera to the market in 2024, after being founded in 2019.
This move signifies Nestlé's continued innovation in infant nutrition, following over three decades of research into human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and other bioactives. Helaina's founder, Laura Katz, emphasized that infant nutrition sets the highest evidence bar, validating their work on expanding access to human bioactive proteins across all life stages.
Isabelle Bureau‑Franz, from Nestlé Product Technology Center for Nutrition & Health, stated that such collaborations are integral to their open innovation strategy. This partnership with Helaina aims to deepen scientific understanding and gain access to emerging technologies, promising a transformative impact on the food industry.