Uelzena Ingredients

What Uelzena Ingredients does

Uelzena Ingredients is the B2B dairy ingredients division of Uelzena eG, a Northern German dairy cooperative founded in 1952. The division supplies milk powder, milk fats (butter, anhydrous milk fat, milk fat fractions, compounds, mixed fats), cream products, and sweetened condensed milk to branded food manufacturers across confectionery, ice cream, baked goods, baby food, and delicatessen segments, and offers contract spray drying services for customer-supplied raw materials including vitamins, minerals, protein hydrolysates, tea extracts, natural colors, flavors, soy sauce powder, and yeast extracts. Operations span four German production sites — Uelzen (headquarters, ~500 staff, including the new Tower 12 plant), Warmsen (WS Warmsener Spezialitäten, sweetened condensed milk, ~70 staff), Bismark (Altmark-Käserei, butter and cheese), and the MTW Neumünster joint venture milk powder plant (~45 staff) — with distribution into global markets via Hamburg port connections.

The technical platform centers on multi-format dairy processing: falling film evaporation for sweetened condensed milk (30,000 tons/year at Warmsen), one of Europe's largest spray drying towers at MTW Neumünster (up to 8.5 tons/hour, 60,000 tons/year), and the newly commissioned Tower 12 facility at Uelzen, designed for infant high-care production with OEB Level 3 dust containment, a tiered hygiene zone architecture, recipe-controlled mixing systems, and SAP-integrated automation. Customer-specific formulations cover organic, Fairtrade, Halal, Kosher, lactose-free, and vegetable-fat variants, supported by IFS Higher Level, FSSC 22000, ISO 9001, ISO 50001, and additional religious/dietary certifications across all sites.

The business model is a relationship-driven B2B sales motion: direct sales teams at each production site manage multi-year contracts with enterprise food manufacturers, supplemented by trade show presence at Gulfood Manufacturing and FI Europe. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with revenue tied to industrial volumes and customer-specific recipes. Group-level turnover exceeded 1 billion euros for the first time in 2022 (the company's 70th anniversary), up from 766 million euros in 2021 and 705 million euros in 2019. The Uelzena Group is privately held as a cooperative under German GenG law, with wholly-owned subsidiaries WS Warmsener Spezialitäten GmbH and Altmark-Käserei Uelzena GmbH, plus the four-party MTW joint venture; no venture capital or public ownership is evidenced.

Name

Uelzena Ingredients

Legal name

Uelzena eG

Website

https://ingredients.uelzena.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Uelzena Ingredients is the B2B dairy ingredients division of German cooperative Uelzena eG, supplying milk powder, milk fats, sweetened condensed milk, and contract spray drying services to enterprise food manufacturers across confectionery, ice cream, baked goods, and baby food segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Ingredients and Contract Manufacturing

NAICS

Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Product Manufacturing (311514)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Infant Formula & Specialized Dairy Nutrition Manufacturing (AFAKAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Heat-Stable/High-Heat Milk Powders for Industrial Use (Bakery, Confectionery, Recombination) (AFAHAFAL)

Keywords

• Dairy ingredient supply
• Milk powder manufacturing
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Milk fat fractionation
• Contract spray drying

Headquarters

HQ city

Uelzen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Milk Powder Sales: Sale of skimmed milk powder (Low Heat and Medium Heat) to food industry customers worldwide. Production from own facilities and joint venture MTW in Neumünster.
2. Milk Fat Products: Sale of butter, butterfat, anhydrous milk fat, milk fat fractions, compounds, and mixed fats to confectionery, baked goods, and food industries.
3. Sweetened Condensed Milk: Production and sale of sweetened condensed milk and caramelized condensed milk to chocolate, ice cream, and confectionery industries. One of the largest European suppliers with ~30,000 tons annual capacity.
4. Cream and Dairy Products: Sale of cream products, lactose-free variants, and customized milk products for delicatessen and food industry.
5. Contract Drying Services: Contract manufacturing for spray drying of customer-provided raw materials including vitamins, minerals, protein hydrolysates, tea extracts, natural colors, flavors, soy sauce powder, and yeast extracts. Core competency with multiple spray towers of various sizes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Uelzena Ingredients supplies a diversified portfolio of milk-based B2B food ingredients (milk powders, milk fats and butters, cream, sweetened condensed milk) and offers contract spray-drying services for customer-provided raw materials such as vitamins, minerals, protein hydrolysates, tea extracts, natural colors, flavors, soy sauce powder, and yeast extracts. Production operates across four German sites (Uelzen, Warmsen, Bismark, Neumünster) with one of Europe's largest spray towers and a new infant high-care spray drying plant (Tower 12) commissioned in 2023.

Product overview

Uelzena Ingredients operates as a B2B ingredient supplier for the food industry, offering a diversified portfolio of milk-based ingredients across multiple product categories. The core product lines include milk powders (Low-Heat and Medium-Heat Skim Milk Powder), milk fats (Premium German Butter, Anhydrous Milk Fat, Milk Fat Fractions, Milk Fat Compounds, and specialty butters with vanillin or carotene), dairy products (Cream, Lactose-Free variants, and customized milk products), and sweetened condensed milk products (including vegetable oil blends). Additionally, the company operates a contract drying division offering spray drying services for protein hydrolysates, tea extracts, natural colors, flavors, soy sauce powder, yeast extracts, and vitamins and minerals. The portfolio spans three production sites (Uelzen, Bismark, Warmsen) and one joint venture (MTW Neumünster), with a focus on food industry customers including confectionery, baked goods, ice cream, and delicatessen manufacturers. Recent additions include the new Tower 12 spray drying plant for infant high-care productions and the PARADICE ice cream mix brand acquired in 2021.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PARADICE: Ice cream mix brand acquired from Elsdorfer Molkerei by WS Warmsener Spezialitäten GmbH, including liquid mixes for soft ice cream, classic ice cream, frozen yoghurt, milkshakes and water ice.

Products and services

• Low-Heat Skim Milk Powder Industrial-grade low-heat skimmed milk powder for B2B food manufacturers worldwide; used as a protein ingredient in confectionery, baked goods, processed foods and dairy applications.
• Medium-Heat Skimmed Milk Powder Industrial-grade medium-heat skimmed milk powder for B2B food manufacturers, used in dairy, confectionery and bakery applications worldwide.
• Premium German Butter Premium branded German butter for B2B food manufacturers in baked goods, confectionery, and processed food applications; produced at the Bismark site.
• Bakery Butter with Vanillin or Carotene Specialty butter for industrial bakeries flavored with vanillin or colored with carotene, produced for B2B bakeries and food processors.
• Recombined Butter Recombined butter for B2B markets, produced by recombining milk fat and milk solids; used where local fresh milk supply is limited.
• Lactose-Free Butter Lactose-free butter for B2B food manufacturers serving lactose-sensitive consumer markets.
• Anhydrous Milk Fat Anhydrous milk fat (AMF) for B2B confectionery, chocolate, and recombined dairy manufacturers; serves global export markets.
• Butterfat with Vanillin or Carotene Specialty flavored/butterfat variants for industrial bakery and confectionery customers requiring flavored milk fat ingredients.
• Milk Fat Fractions Customized milk fat fractions produced through specialized fractionation and decolorization technologies for B2B food manufacturers.
• Milk Fat Compounds Milk fat compounds and mixed fats for industrial baked goods, confectionery and processed food customers.
• Mixed Fats Mixed fat ingredients combining milk fat with vegetable oils for industrial food manufacturers.
• Cream Industrial cream products for B2B delicatessen, food service, and processed food manufacturers in Germany and neighboring countries.
• Lactose-Free Cream and Sour Cream Products Lactose-free cream and sour cream variants for B2B customers serving lactose-sensitive consumer markets.
• Customized Milk and Milk Fat Products Bespoke milk and milk fat formulations tailored to individual B2B customer recipes and specifications.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk Sweetened condensed milk for the confectionery, chocolate, ice cream and caramel industries; one of Europe's largest suppliers with approximately 30,000 tons/year capacity at the Warmsen site. Available in organic, Fairtrade, Halal, and Kosher variants.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk Mix with Vegetable Oil Sweetened condensed milk blended with vegetable oil for B2B confectionery manufacturers seeking RSPO-certified palm fat alternatives to pure milk fat.
• PARADICE Ice Cream Mixes Liquid ice cream mixes for soft ice cream, classic ice cream, frozen yoghurt, milkshakes, and water ice, supplied to B2B ice cream manufacturers and food service customers.
• Contract Spray Drying for Protein Hydrolysates Contract spray drying of customer-supplied protein hydrolysates for food, nutrition, and specialty ingredient manufacturers.
• Contract Spray Drying for Tea Extracts Contract spray drying service for customer-supplied tea extracts.
• Contract Spray Drying for Natural Colors Contract spray drying of customer-supplied natural food colors.
• Contract Spray Drying for Flavors Contract spray drying service for customer-supplied flavors.
• Contract Spray Drying for Soy Sauce Powder Contract spray drying service for customer-supplied soy sauce into powder form.
• Contract Spray Drying for Yeast Extracts Contract spray drying of customer-supplied yeast extracts.
• Contract Spray Drying for Vitamins and Minerals Contract spray drying service for customer-supplied vitamins and minerals under infant high-care production conditions at the new Tower 12 spray drying plant; primarily targeted at baby food manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000 tons/year milk powder capacity from single plant
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tetra PakcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Equipment supplier and installer for critical components of Tower 12 spray drying plant including spray tower, wet mixing area, and feeding stations. Contract awarded following successful tests at manufacturer.
• Elsdorfer Molkerei und Feinkost GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021WS Warmsener Spezialitäten GmbH took over PARADICE ice cream mix production facilities, complete product range, and registered trademark from Elsdorfer Molkerei. Strategic expansion of ice cream mix product portfolio. Production relocated to Warmsen site with full operation starting spring 2022.
• RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)minorOthers · 1 January 2020RSPO certification used for sustainable palm fat procurement when vegetable fats are incorporated into sweetened condensed milk recipes. RSPO promotes sustainable cultivation methods for palm oil in producer countries.
• MTW Milchtrockenwerk Norddeutschland GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2014Joint venture milk powder plant with three other Northern German dairy partners. Uelzena eG is one of four shareholder dairies. Plant began operation in May 2014 and is one of Europe's largest and most modern milk drying facilities with 60,000 tons annual capacity. Products distributed by Uelzena eG through Uelzena Ingredients division.
• WS Warmsener Spezialitäten GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Subsidiary integrated into Uelzena Group in 2006 and part of Uelzena Ingredients division. Specializes in sweetened condensed milk production with approximately 70 employees. Distributes dairy products to customers worldwide.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arla Foods Ingredients: B2B ingredients arm of Arla Foods, the largest dairy cooperative in Europe, offering milk powders, whey proteins, lactose, and specialty dairy ingredients to food manufacturers globally. Directly comparable to Uelzena's industrial milk powder and contract spray drying business serving confectionery, bakery, and infant nutrition customers.
• Hochwald: German dairy cooperative producing milk powder, condensed milk, cheese, and dairy ingredients for B2B customers across Europe. Comparable to Uelzena on cooperative structure, German production footprint, and condensed milk / milk powder product overlap.
• DMK Group: Germany's largest dairy cooperative (Deutsches Milchkontor), operating across milk powder, butter, cheese, and food ingredients. Closely comparable to Uelzena as a fellow German dairy cooperative supplying B2B ingredients to confectionery and bakery customers with multi-site production.
• Glanbia: Irish dairy and nutrition group with a sizeable ingredients division supplying milk proteins, cheese, and dairy-based functional ingredients to food manufacturers globally. Comparable to Uelzena on B2B ingredient focus, technical application expertise, and customer industries.
• Meggle: German dairy ingredient manufacturer specializing in milk powder, whey, lactose, and butter for food industry and pharmaceutical customers. Directly comparable to Uelzena's industrial milk powder and milk fat business serving bakery, confectionery, and processed food manufacturers.
• Müller Group: German family-owned dairy group (Theo Müller) producing milk powder, butter, cheese, and dairy ingredients under brands including Sachsenmilch and Müller Milch. Directly comparable to Uelzena on German dairy production, milk powder volumes, and B2B ingredient supply.
• FrieslandCampina: Dutch dairy cooperative with a sizable Professional and Ingredients business supplying milk powder, condensed milk, milk fat, and dairy ingredients to food and beverage manufacturers worldwide. Comparable to Uelzena on customer base, B2B ingredient portfolio, and cooperative ownership model.
• BMI (Bayerische Milchindustrie): Bavarian dairy cooperative producing milk powder, butter, cheese, and whey products for industrial food customers across Europe. Comparable to Uelzena on German cooperative structure, milk powder and milk fat production, and B2B food industry customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Kerry Group: Irish-headquartered global food ingredients group with a Kerry Dairy division producing dairy-based ingredients, proteins, and taste systems for food manufacturers. Comparable to Uelzena on B2B food ingredient supply but with much broader functional ingredient portfolio.
• Lactalis: French-headquartered global dairy group with industrial ingredient operations spanning milk powder, butter, whey, and cheese across multiple continents. Comparable to Uelzena on milk powder and milk fat categories, but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uelzena-ingredients

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Uelzena Ingredients