What Lactosan does

Lactosan A/S is a Danish B2B ingredient manufacturer that produces and globally supplies premium cheese powder solutions to industrial food producers. Founded in 1942 in Denmark and headquartered in Ringe, the company has specialized exclusively in cheese powder production since pioneering the spray-drying of cheese in 1951. Today, Lactosan is positioned as the world's only manufacturer dedicated solely to cheese powder, operating from its Denmark headquarters with production facilities in Uruguay and sales offices in the United Kingdom, China, and Japan. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Thornico Group, a third-generation family-owned conglomerate controlled by Thor and Christian Stadil.

The company's core technology is spray-drying of 200+ different cheese varieties with varying maturation degrees, yielding cheese powders typically containing approximately 95% cheese with up to 5% emulsifying salt. Its product portfolio spans standard cheese powders with emulsifying salts, Clean Label cheese powders without additives (100% cheese, developed with the University of Copenhagen in 2012), Lactosan NCB - Natural Culinary Booster® (a proprietary low-dose flavor enhancer line launched in 2006), Provenance powders using specialty cheeses such as Parmesan, Pecorino, Stilton, and Gorgonzola, plus Organic, Halal, and Vegetarian variants and Cheese Powder Blends. Products target more than 20 food categories including snacks, ready meals, sauces, bakery, confectionery, desserts, dips, ice cream, margarine, pasta, and pet food, with advantages including 18-month minimum shelf life versus a 12-month industry standard and zero recalls reported in 2025.

Lactosan's business model centers on direct B2B sales to enterprise food manufacturers combined with a multi-tiered global distribution network spanning 50+ countries. Sales channels include direct engagement from the Ringe headquarters, regional sales offices (UK, China, Japan, Uruguay), and a dense distributor network led by Barentz across Europe and Asia, supplemented by regional specialists. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; cheese powder is more expensive per kilogram than fresh cheese due to a 2:1 cheese-to-powder conversion ratio, but cost-in-use is competitive because lower dosages deliver concentrated flavor, umami/kokumi mouthfeel, and clean-label benefits. The company emphasizes technical partnership with customers through R&D sparring, sensory evaluation, and application development, supported by a dedicated Science & Technology team and long-standing collaborations with the University of Copenhagen, DTU, Aarhus University, and Lorraine University.

Name

Lactosan

Legal name

LACTOSAN A/S

Website

https://lactosan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lactosan A/S is a Denmark-based B2B ingredient manufacturer and the world's only specialist dedicated exclusively to producing premium cheese powders for global food manufacturers across snacks, ready meals, sauces, and bakery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cheese Powder Ingredients

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Powder, Sauce & Flavor Systems Manufacturing (AFAHABAE)

Keywords

• Cheese powder production
• Food ingredient manufacturing
• Dairy flavor enhancers
• Clean label ingredients
• B2B food ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Ringe

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese Powder Sales: Lactosan generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of premium cheese powder ingredients to food producers globally. Products include pure cheese powders, cheese powder blends, Natural Culinary Boosters, and clean label solutions. The company serves various food categories including snacks, ready meals, sauces, bakery products, and more.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lactosan manufactures and supplies premium cheese powder ingredients for industrial food producers worldwide. The company produces pure cheese powders (90-100% cheese content), Lactosan NCB (Natural Culinary Booster) low-dose flavor enhancers, and cheese powder blends, serving over 20 food categories including snacks, ready meals, sauces, bakery, beverages, pet food, and toddler food. With over 70 years of specialized expertise and a global B2B distribution network, they deliver complete ingredient solutions including application development and technical support.

Product overview

Lactosan offers a comprehensive cheese powder portfolio with three main product lines: Lactosan Cheese Powders (standard with emulsifying salts), Clean Label Cheese Powders (100% cheese, no additives), and Lactosan NCB - Natural Culinary Booster® (low-dose flavor enhancers). The portfolio also includes Provenance, Organic, and Halal/Vegetarian variants. Cheese Powder Blends offer cost-efficient alternatives. These products serve over 20 food categories including snacks, sauces, ready meals, soups, desserts, beverages, and pet food. The company provides complete solutions including product application development, sensory evaluation, and regulatory support through its R&D and Science & Technology teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lactosan NCB - Natural Culinary Booster®: Cheese powder range constructed as low-dose flavor enhancers for products that do not necessarily taste of or contain cheese. Developed in collaboration with Copenhagen University.
• Lactosan Cheese Powder Blends

Products and services

• Lactosan Cheese Powders Premium standard cheese powders with emulsifying salts offering authentic cheese taste, flavor release, emulsification, baking stability, and mouthfeel for food manufacturing applications including Cheddar, Gouda, and other varieties.
• Clean Label Cheese Powders Cheese powders produced without emulsifying salts, consisting of 100% cheese. Can be declared as dried cheese, meeting clean label requirements for food manufacturers.
• Provenance Cheese Powders Cheese powders using specific cheese varieties including Parmesan, Pecorino, Stilton, Gorgonzola, goat cheese, Norwegian Myseost (Brown Cheese), and naturally smoked cheeses to meet specific product declaration requirements.
• Organic Cheese Powders Organic-certified cheese powders for food manufacturers requiring organic ingredient solutions.
• Halal/Vegetarian Cheese Powders Halal-certified and vegetarian cheese powder solutions to meet religious and dietary requirements.
• Lactosan NCB - Natural Culinary Booster® Low-dose flavor enhancer range constructed from cheese powders, providing natural alternative to traditional flavor enhancers adding umami and kokumi (mouthfeel) to dishes without necessarily tasting of or containing cheese. Seven varieties available.
• Lactosan Cheese Powder Blends Blended cheese powder products combining cheese with dairy ingredients, vegetable fat, and maltodextrin/starch, made without emulsifying salts or additives. Ideal for savory snacks, cheese cream, and dry-mix for sauces at reduced cost.
• Cheese Building Blocks Blends of cheese, dairy ingredients, vegetable fat, and maltodextrin/starch made without emulsifying salts or additives. Ideal for savory snacks, cheese cream, and dry-mix for sauces.
• Dried Shredded Cheese Dried shredded cheese products for industrial food manufacturing applications.
• Pure Cheese Blends Range of pure cheese blends developed in the 1990s for various food applications.
• Cheese Seasonings Cheese seasoning range that can reduce the need for artificial flavour enhancers like yeast extract, MSG, and salt.
• Toddler Food Cheese Powders Cheddar and Blue Cheese powders for toddler food applications (12+ months), offering dairy flavour, smooth texture, and nutritional benefits. Free from artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives, supporting clean-label recipes for solid foods, snacks, desserts, and ready-to-drink formulas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimum 18-month shelf life compared to 12-month industry standard
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dairy without BorderscoreOthers · 1 July 2023Long-term CSR partnership with Danish NGO focusing on establishing and supporting minor local projects within milk and dairy sector in developing countries. Partnership supports Kiteto Dairy Cooperative in Tanzania, helping improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers through skills transfer, training, and organizational development.
• Thornico GroupcoreOthersLactosan is part of the Thornico Group, a diversified conglomerate with third-generation family owners Thor and Christian Stadil. Thornico comprises companies spanning sport & fashion, real estate, food and food technology, food packing, and venture. This structure provides financial strength and resources.
• University of Copenhagen - Department of Food SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research collaboration with Copenhagen University's Department of Food Science, a world leader in dairy foods. Joint projects include 'How Cheese Powder Can Promote Greener Eating Behaviour' and Clean Label cheese powder development. Multiple joint publications and product innovations including NCB Natural Culinary Booster.
• Technical University of Denmark (DTU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on cheese powder science and functionality, working with DTU's renowned research and innovation programmes.
• Aarhus UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership hosting PhD students and providing research collaboration opportunities.
• Lorraine UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership for cheese powder science and applications.
• Code of CareminorOthersLactosan is a Code of Care Ambassador, supporting the non-profit organization's mission to help people with mental, physical, or social challenges find a place in Danish workplaces.
• Danish Red Cross YouthminorOthersSocial sponsorship partnership supporting activities including homework cafes, summer camps, mentor projects, and support for children at crisis centers.
• Foundation for Muscular DiseaseminorOthersSocial sponsorship supporting the foundation's vision of creating a society embracing diversity regardless of gender, ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation.
• Viegand & MaagoeminorOthersExternal consultants providing assistance with GHG emissions calculations and sustainability reporting to align with CSRD requirements.
• Innova Market InsightsminorOthersMarket research provider used for consumer snacking trends, flavor trends, and market data to inform product development and customer insights.
• KIWAminorOthersThird-party certification body conducting BRC audits for Lactosan's food safety certification.
• SAI GlobalminorOthersThird-party certification body conducting BRC audits and quality certifications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user142170717
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lactosan-a-s
• Instagraminstagram.com/?next=%2flactosan_cheese_powders%2f

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Lactosan