What Milei does

MILEI GmbH is a German B2B food ingredients manufacturer founded in 1972 in Leutkirch im Allgäu, specializing in functional protein derivatives produced from milk and whey. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan's Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., which became sole shareholder in 2012. Its core technology stack is built around membrane-based fractionation — ultra-filtration and micro-filtration — combined with spray-drying to produce a portfolio spanning whey protein concentrates (Milei 35–80, 70 HPL), whey protein isolates (Milei 90, Milei 90 M), milk protein concentrates (TMP 70/80/85), micellar casein (MC 80, MC 88), lactose, whey and milk permeates (Milkolac, Molkolac), lactoferrin, and a suite of proprietary probiotic/postbiotic strains (BB536, M-16V, M-63, B-3, LAC-Shield). MILEI positions itself as the world's largest manufacturer of lactoferrin and a quality/performance leader in Europe and Asia for powdered, functional high-protein milk and whey derivatives.

The company sells exclusively into B2B channels — direct to food manufacturers globally across 62 countries — under long-term supply contracts with quote-based pricing tailored to specification, volume, and application. Its customer base spans infant formula producers, clinical and sports nutrition brands, dairy processors, bakeries, confectioners, and dietary supplement manufacturers, with primary emphasis on baby and child nutrition. A dedicated field sales team and customer service organization provides technical application support alongside commercial engagement. Vertical integration is meaningful: roughly 33,000 m² of production footprint in the Allgäu, 2,850 daily quality checks per metric ton, and a broad certification stack (ISO 22000/FSSC 22000, ISO 50001, VLOG non-GMO, Kosher, Halal, EcoVadis, SBTi, Sedex, SAI Platform) signal high process control rather than commodity positioning.

Name

Milei

Legal name

MILEI GmbH

Website

https://milei.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

MILEI GmbH is a German B2B manufacturer of functional milk and whey protein ingredients, including the world's largest lactoferrin production capacity, serving food manufacturers across 62 countries as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan's Morinaga Milk Industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Protein Ingredients

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Dairy Protein Ingredients (Whey, Casein/Caseinates, Milk Protein Concentrates/Isolates) (AFAJAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Whey Concentration & Protein Ingredient Manufacturing (WPC/WPI, Native Whey) (AFAHAGAB)

Keywords

• Whey protein ingredients
• Milk protein concentrates
• Functional food ingredients
• Lactoferrin production
• Probiotic strains supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Leutkirch

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. B2B Food Ingredients Sales: MILEI operates as a B2B ingredients supplier, selling powdered milk and whey protein ingredients to food manufacturers globally. Products are sold in bulk to food processing companies for use in their manufacturing processes. Revenue is generated through long-term supply contracts and project-based engagements with customers in various food industry segments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MILEI GmbH is a B2B food ingredients manufacturer specializing in functional milk and whey protein derivatives. The company produces whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolates, milk protein concentrates, micellar casein, lactose, lactoferrin, whey and milk permeates, and probiotic/postbiotic strains for global food manufacturers. MILEI is the world's largest manufacturer of lactoferrin and serves customers in 62 countries across applications including infant nutrition, clinical nutrition, sports nutrition, dairy, chocolate, baked goods, and food supplements.

Product overview

MILEI is a German food ingredients company producing functional milk and whey protein derivatives. The company operates as a subsidiary of Japan's Morinaga Milk Group and serves B2B customers in 62 countries. The product portfolio is organized into several categories: Whey Protein Concentrates (Standard, Special, and HPL variants), Milk Protein Concentrates (TMP and Micellar Casein lines including MC 80 and MC 88), Whey Protein Isolates (Milei 90 and 90 M), Lactose, Whey and Milk Permeates (Milkolac and Molkolac), Lactoferrin (making MILEI the world's largest manufacturer), and Probiotic/Postbiotic strains (including BB536, M-16V, M-63, B-3, and LAC-Shield sourced from Morinaga). Additional specialty products include Milei MCA (milk minerals) and Milei 13 HH. Products are VLOG-certified as non-genetically modified and are used across applications including infant formula, clinical nutrition, sports nutrition, dairy, baked goods, chocolate, and food supplements. The company operates production facilities in Leutkirch im Allgäu, Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Milei 70 HPL: High-quality whey protein concentrate with naturally increased phospholipid content
• Milei 90
• Milei 90 M
• Milei MC 80
• Milei MC 88
• TMP 80/85
• Lactoferrin
• Bifidobacteria
• LAC-Shield
• Molkolac
• Milkolac

Products and services

• Whey Protein Concentrates (Standard Products) Whey protein concentrates (Milei 35-80) made from fresh sweet whey using filtration technology. Used in food applications from traditional uses to infant formula, clinical nutrition, and sports nutrition.
• Whey Protein Concentrates (Special Products) Specially manufactured and highly refined whey protein concentrates that contribute to application-specific improvement of nutritional value, flavor, appearance, and texture of products.
• Milei 70 HPL
• TMP 70 High-quality milk protein concentrate from fresh skim milk using filtration and drying technologies. Contains micellar casein and native whey proteins in natural milk ratio with less lactose.
• TMP 80/85 High-quality milk protein concentrates (80%/85% protein content) with outstanding flavor, temperature stability, and natural milk calcium content.
• Milei MC 80 Highly soluble micellar casein concentrate (80% protein) from fresh skim milk using filtration and spray-drying technology. Features cold filtration and high heat stability.
• Milei MC 88 Highly soluble micellar casein concentrate (88% protein) with outstanding protein quality, rich mouthfeel, low lactose, and high heat stability for UHT applications.
• Milei 90 Whey protein isolate from fresh cold-micro and ultra filtered sweet whey. Highest protein quality, virtually fat-free, low in lactose. Ideal for clear protein drinks and high-quality sports/clinical nutrition.
• Milei 90 M Milk-based whey protein isolate extracted from skim milk using microfiltration and ultrafiltration. Protein profile closer to breast milk than traditional whey isolates. Specially suitable for infant formulae.
• Lactose Food-grade lactose extracted from fresh sweet whey using crystallization and drying technologies. Available in unmilled, 100 Mesh, and 200 Mesh grades for infant formula and food applications.
• Milkolac Milk permeate powder with excellent solubility made from fresh skim milk using ultra-filtration and spray-drying. Cost-effective alternative to skim milk powder with mild sweetness.
• Molkolac Gently partially demineralized whey permeate powder from fresh sweet whey. Used as lactose and whey powder substitute with positive effects on sensory properties and browning reactions.
• Lactoferrin Multifunctional iron-binding glycoprotein extracted from fresh whey or milk. Used as premium component in infant formulae, yogurt, beverages, food supplements and sports nutrition. MILEI is the world's largest manufacturer of lactoferrin.
• Bifidobacteria Probiotic Strains (BB536, M-16V, M-63, B-3) Probiotic strains developed by Morinaga Milk including BB536 (human bifidobacteria with 250+ scientific studies), M-16V (infant health), M-63 (HMO utilization), and B-3 (weight management with patented anti-obesity effect).
• LAC-Shield Heat-killed Lactobacillus paracasei MCC 1849 strain with clinically proven immune-enhancing benefits. Patented strain that can be added to wide range of foods and beverages where conventional probiotics cannot survive.
• Milei MCA Whey product rich in natural milk minerals, especially milk calcium. Used for calcium enrichment with rich milk flavor, high dispersibility, heat stability, and pleasant mouthfeel.
• Milei 13 HH Product extracted from specially treated sweet whey combining economic benefits of sweet whey powder with flavor and appearance of skim milk powder. Suitable for high-heat applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Global presence in 62 countries with exports
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves28 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/MILEI-GmbH-108561445964133
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milei-gmbh

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Milei