Two significant things happened in 2020 when TechMix, a leading livestock technology company, acquired Immuno-Dynamics, a company specialised in first milking bovine colostrum.
It enabled the companies to leverage their combined technologies and experience. And they established an unparalleled dairy supply chain for their colostrum.
“At the time of the acquisition, Immuno-Dynamics was selling the best colostrum produced in the United States, both bulk ingredients and direct-to-consumer products,” said TechMix President Mike Nelson. “This acquisition gave TechMix the opportunity to transfer our first-hand experience with colostrum’s animal health benefits and apply our technologies to the human market for colostrum.
“We believe the timing is perfect, as consumer awareness of the health benefits of bovine colostrum has recently experienced enormous growth. So too has consumer interest in seeking knowledge about quality differentiators among products in this category.”
First milking bovine colostrum does not divert nutrients from calves
First milking bovine colostrum is the gold standard of colostrum because it is nature’s richest source of immune, growth, protective and metabolic factors. These include lactoferrin plus nutrients such as proline-rich peptides (PRPs), IgG and IgA that support digestive and immune health. A complex and naturally rich fluid, it must be collected soon after the birthing process to ensure the highest possible nutrient concentration.
“One of the most common myths about first milking bovine colostrum is that we’re denying these nutrients to the calves. It would be difficult to over-emphasise the falsehood of that thinking,” stresses Nelson. “Dairy farmers are acutely aware of the health benefits of colostrum, and know how important it is to the long-term wellbeing of their calves. As such, the calves will always come first. They are fed two to four liters of colostrum shortly after birth, to meet their needs. New mothers, however, often produce more than 12 liters of colostrum. TechMix partners with dairy farmers to buy, collect and transport this surplus first milking bovine colostrum, for which the farmer now has the ability to capture more value to their operation.”
Produced in a state-of-the-art facility using cGMP and HACCP guidelines, the company’s certified first milking bovine colostrum is third-party validated. It is ColosTRUE GOLD Source Potency Assured, representing the pinnacle of potency, premium quality and customer assurance.
The health advantages of intact first milking bovine colostrum, as nature intended
“First milking bovine colostrum has tremendous potential for immune health, gut health, sports recovery and companion pet health,” comments Nelson.
“Our certified first milking bovine colostrum contains the unique and intact balance of bioactive compounds for effective utilisation in your body, in considerably higher concentrations than the other products on the market. We retain IgG, lactoferrin and the full complement of growth factors. As nature intended, it is of the utmost importance because science repeatedly validates that all components of first milking bovine colostrum work synergistically to deliver optimal health benefits to the consumer.”
Colostrum from trusted, Grade A US dairy farms
TechMix already had strong relationships with a network of Grade A dairy farmers through its animal health business. “We’ve kept those and increased our scale by adding more farms,” said Nelson.
“Our strong relationships with farmers is definitely one of our competitive advantages. They are willing to do the extra work to collect and segregate the first milking colostrum in accordance with our stringent procedures,” he said.
TechMix is the only company to offer both 1) a full line of colostrum products, and 2) the capability to custom formulate products to the specific needs of customers
TechMix also offers a customised collection process for second- and third-milking colostrum, as well as customisation based on the customer’s specifications and intended application.
“While first milking is our crown jewel, we also have bulk blends. And we can adjust the concentrations of bioactives such as IgA, lactoferrin and IgG,” confirmed Nelson. “Our R&D team works directly with our customers to provide the best formula for their applications.”
White labelling is also available
The company maintains its consumer-facing line of certified first milking bovine colostrum products, with a variety of formulas for different category applications. This premium ingredient is also available for white labelling, with in-house packaging for powder, canisters and gusset pouches.
“We stand ready to share the valuable consumer insights we’ve gained from our own direct-to-consumer products with our ingredient customers. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of entering into, or expanding your presence in, the consumer-facing colostrum market,” concluded Nelson.