Bremen, 6 May 2026. The DMK Group has commissioned a new production plant for the manufacture of lactoferrin at its Altentreptow site. With this investment of 25 million euros, Germany’s largest dairy cooperative is specifically tapping into a new, strategically relevant business segment whilst further expanding its industrial expertise at the Altentreptow site.
Lactoferrin is a high-quality, bioactive milk protein that is used particularly in specialised applications, such as nutrition, health and pharmaceuticals. Worldwide, there are only a few companies that possess the technological expertise to produce lactoferrin industrially to the required quality standards. The new plant underscores the DMK Group’s commitment to further expanding its innovation and technology leadership in the field of high-quality milk ingredients. It plays a special role in so-called early life nutrition, i.e. the nutrition of infants and young children. In this sensitive market segment, the highest standards apply in terms of quality, product safety, traceability and stable specifications.
Strategically planned entry into a demanding market segment
The commitment to the lactoferrin business fits seamlessly into the DMK Group’s strategic direction, which focuses on value creation, diversification and the development of sustainable products with high market and innovation relevance. The expansion of production capacities in Altentreptow also makes an important contribution to regional value creation, job security and the further development of modern milk ingredient technologies within the DMK Group, thereby strengthening the location.
Operational implementation took place at the moment when technological maturity, market demand and regulatory requirements in the relevant target markets could be consistently aligned. Today, with lactoferrin, the DMK Group is building on expertise that has been systematically developed over many years: in the separation of proteins, in ensuring the highest product safety, in the industrial production of stable and reproducible qualities, and in operating within strictly regulated markets.
“With the lactoferrin plant, we are expanding our portfolio to include a strategically important business segment with high quality standards and growth prospects,” says Ingo Müller, CEO of the DMK Group. “The plant demonstrates our technological capabilities and the targeted expansion of existing expertise at the Altentreptow site.”
From the state government’s perspective, too, the investment is an important signal for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as a business location.
“The DMK Group’s decision to build a new production plant in Altentreptow is a clear signal of the strength of the location and the region. This investment boosts regional value creation and secures long-term jobs in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. “This is a benefit for the economic stability and future viability of rural areas,” says Dr Wolfgang Blank, Minister for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Facts about the new production facility
The investment is rounded off by extensive structural extensions at the Altentreptow site. These include a new building with a floor area of around 655 square metres, which will house the new production facilities. An elevated walkway, approximately 30 metres long, connects the building functionally with the existing plant infrastructure and ensures the continued smooth flow of traffic on the factory premises. In addition, a separate building for chromatographic applications with a floor area of around 130 square metres has been constructed, which specifically expands the technological infrastructure at the site.
Commissioning of the plant began in December 2025. The planned market launch of the lactoferrin powder produced is scheduled for autumn 2026.
