Lactolife Dairy, a Kenyan manufacturer of probiotic dairy products, has officially opened a new dairy processing plant in Nairobi. Lactolife was founded in 2017 and produces a range of functional yoghurts aimed at children.

Lactolife has received funding and support from the EU, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), DSM Nutritional and DuPont. Its Yoghurt-4-School Program is a social enterprise promoting dairy nutrition in schools by providing yoghurt to children aged between 3-14 years. Lactolife founder Pauline Mugendi is a former agricultural consultant who has worked with USAID and Technoserve International.

Kenya is a growth market for probiotic and fortified fruit yoghurts. Lactolife will compete with Bio Food Products, the leading Kenyan manufacturer of functional yoghurts, as well as Happy Cow.

A recent study in Bangladesh among 1000 rural, low income food purchasers found that where consumers were aware of the benefits of fortification it drove uptake. The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) sees fortified dairy products a key route to improving child health. Its flagship Marketplace for Nutritious Foods (MNF) program, which has supported Lactolife, supports local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to accelerate accessibility, desirability and quality of nutritious foods, including milk and dairy products. GAIN provides technical assistance, grants and training to businesses in the dairy sector. East Africa is a key focus area for the organisation.