Serum Italia

What Serum Italia does

Serum Italia S.p.A. a socio unico is an Italian B2B whey protein ingredient manufacturer headquartered in Cazzago San Martino (Brescia), operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dutch conglomerate VanDrie Group. The company processes approximately 60,000 metric tons of liquid whey annually sourced from PDO cheese manufacturers across Northern Italy (Lombardia, Piemonte, Veneto, Emilia Romagna), converting a dairy industry byproduct into standardized whey protein concentrates and whey-derived ingredients for food, sports nutrition, dairy, health/wellness and cosmetics applications.

The company's technology stack covers the full whey processing chain: pre-treatment (skimming, bactofugation with claimed >95% microorganism/spore removal, pasteurization), concentration via evaporation and spray-tower drying, and protein isolation via tangential-flow liquid WPC ultrafiltration. Quality control is supported by an in-house laboratory and a partnership with Labora, an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory within the VanDrie Group. The product portfolio spans powder grades (WPC 80 Regular, WPC 80 Instant, WPC 35, Sweet Whey SWP) and liquid grades (WPC 80, WPC 60, whey permeate concentrate, whey concentrates at 30% and 60% dry matter, whey cream).

Revenue is generated through quote-based B2B sales of whey protein concentrates to enterprise buyers in food manufacturing, sports nutrition, dairy, nutraceuticals and cosmetics, with go-to-market executed via direct field sales, website contact forms, email and phone. The business operates under a circular-economy value proposition anchored to Italian PDO cheese provenance, supported by FSSC 22000, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and Halal certifications. In May 2026 the company, jointly with Igor Gorgonzola, established Dolce Vita Proteins to internationally market premium whey proteins — signaling a strategic shift from regional industrial supply toward branded international commercialization.

Name

Serum Italia

Legal name

Serum Italia S.p.A. a socio unico

Website

https://serumitalia.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Serum Italia is an Italian B2B manufacturer that converts whey from Northern Italian PDO cheese makers into whey protein concentrates and whey-derived ingredients, supplying food, sports nutrition, dairy, health and cosmetics buyers as a VanDrie Group subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Whey Protein Ingredients

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Product Manufacturing (311514), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Whey, Casein & Milk Protein Ingredient Manufacturing (AFAKAKAF), Whey Drying & Powder Manufacturing (Sweet/Acid Whey Powders) (AFAHAGAD), Cheese Whey Collection & Pre-Treatment (Clarification, Standardization) (AFAHAGAA), Dairy Ingredients (Whey, Lactose, Milk Powders) Wholesale (AFAIAEAG)

Keywords

• Whey protein concentrates
• Dairy ingredient manufacturing
• Food industry ingredients
• Sports nutrition ingredients
• Cheese whey processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cazzago San Martino

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Whey Protein Concentrate Sales: Serum Italia generates revenue through the sale of whey protein concentrates (WPC 80, WPC 60, WPC 35) and other whey-derived products to food industries. The company processes liquid whey collected from Italian cheese manufacturers into powder and liquid whey protein products, which are sold to customers in sports nutrition, health and wellness, dairy, and food manufacturing sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Serum Italia processes fresh whey collected from northern Italian cheese manufacturers into standardised whey protein concentrates (WPC 80, WPC 60, WPC 35), sweet whey powder, whey permeate concentrate, whey concentrates and whey cream. It supplies these protein ingredients to food industries producing sports, health and wellness foods, as well as dairy and agri-food companies.

Product overview

Serum Italia is an Italian company specializing in the production of whey proteins from Italian cheese whey. The company operates a state-of-the-art plant in Cazzago San Martino, processing fresh whey from PDO cheese manufacturers. The product portfolio includes both powder products (WPC 80_Regular, WPC 80_Instant, WPC 35, and Sweet Whey SWP) and liquid products (WPC 80, WPC 60, whey permeate concentrate, whey concentrate 30%, whey concentrate 60%, and whey cream). These products serve the food and beverage, dairy, sports nutrition, and wellness industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Whey Protein Concentrate WPC 80 Regular Powder whey protein concentrate with 80% protein content for sports nutrition, soluble beverages and high-protein foods.
• Whey Protein Concentrate WPC 80 Instant Instant-dissolving powder whey protein concentrate with 80% protein content for sports nutrition and functional nutrition applications.
• Whey Protein Concentrate WPC 35 Powder whey protein concentrate with 35% protein content for food and beverage applications.
• Sweet Whey Powder (SWP) Sweet whey powder derived from cheese whey processing for food industry applications.
• Whey Protein Concentrate WPC 80 (Liquid) Liquid whey protein concentrate with 80% protein content for dairy and food industry applications.
• Whey Protein Concentrate WPC 60 (Liquid) Liquid whey protein concentrate with 60% protein content for food and beverage applications.
• Whey Permeate Concentrate Liquid whey permeate concentrate containing lactose and mineral salts for various food applications.
• Whey Concentrate 30% Liquid whey concentrate with 30% dry matter content for food industry applications.
• Whey Concentrate 60% Liquid whey concentrate with 60% dry matter content, processed through evaporation and drying.
• Whey Cream Cream derived from whey processing for food industry applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bactofugation process removes over 95% of microorganisms and spores from whey
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Dolce Vita ProteinscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Igor Gorgonzola and the Dutch VanDrie Group established Dolce Vita Proteins, a new company focused on the production and international marketing of premium whey proteins derived from Italian milk whey. This strategic partnership responds to growing global demand for high-quality dairy proteins and combines Igor Gorgonzola's Italian dairy expertise with VanDrie Group's whey processing capabilities.
• LaborasupportingTechnology or IntegrationLabora is an independent ISO 17025-accredited laboratory specializing in chemical and microbiological testing, part of the VanDrie Group. They conduct investigations for manufacturers, suppliers and traders of raw materials and foodstuffs, and for VanDrie production companies. Serum Italia works with Labora to verify quality standards and ensure demonstrable guarantees for their products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Milk Specialties Global: US-based whey protein and dairy ingredient producer serving sports nutrition, functional foods, and dairy customers. Direct competitor in WPC 80 and whey protein production, comparable in product mix and B2B sales motion to Serum Italia.
• Carbery Group: Irish dairy cooperative producing whey protein ingredients, flavors, and nutritional ingredients for sports nutrition and food customers. Direct peer with similar size and B2B whey ingredient focus to Serum Italia.
• Hilmar Ingredients: US-based dedicated whey protein and lactose manufacturer supplying food, nutrition, and dairy customers globally. Direct peer in WPC 80 and whey protein concentrate production with comparable end-markets to Serum Italia.
• Glanbia Nutritionals: One of the world's largest dedicated whey protein processors, producing WPC, WPI, and hydrolysates for sports nutrition, functional foods, and infant nutrition. Closest direct competitor to Serum Italia in B2B whey protein concentrate production, though operating at substantially larger scale.
• Agropur Ingredients: North American dairy cooperative with a dedicated ingredients division producing whey proteins, milk protein isolates, and dairy ingredients for food and nutrition manufacturers. Direct comparable to Serum Italia's whey protein concentrate and dairy ingredient business.

Broad incumbents

• Lactalis Ingredients: Global dairy giant Lactalis operates an ingredients division that produces whey protein concentrates, milk powders, and dairy ingredients for food and nutrition manufacturers. Directly comparable in product category to Serum Italia but at vastly larger global scale and broader geographic reach.
• FrieslandCampina Ingredients: Dutch dairy cooperative's ingredients arm produces whey proteins, milk powders, and specialized dairy ingredients for infant nutrition, sports nutrition, and food industries. Highly comparable to Serum Italia, and is also a Dutch dairy group with whey processing operations — a strategic parallel to VanDrie Group's backing of Serum Italia.
• Arla Foods Ingredients: Specialized dairy cooperative producing whey protein fractions, hydrolysates, and lactose for infant formula, clinical nutrition, and sports nutrition. A direct whey protein peer with strong global brand presence in ingredient markets where Serum Italia also competes.

Others

• Egidio Galbani / Galbani (Lactalis): Italian cheese producer (part of Lactalis) operating in the same Po Valley PDO cheese region as Serum Italia's whey supply chain. Comparable as both a potential whey supplier partner and a competing Italian dairy ingredient brand via its parent Lactalis Ingredients.

Regional players

• Sachsenmilch (Müller Ingredients): German dairy processor producing milk powders, whey products, and dairy ingredients primarily for the European market. Comparable in product mix to Serum Italia, with European regional overlap but limited direct competition in Italy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/serum-italia-s.p.a.

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Serum Italia