Valio milk powder was launched in Nigeria recently .

The lactose-free product which is a product of Finland was introduced into the country by Thompson & Grace Pharmaceuticals Limited (T & G Pharma), a leading pharmaceutical company in Lagos.

At the unveiling of the four variants of the milk product at separate events in Abuja and Lagos respectively recently, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of T & G Pharma, Dr. Isaac Amos declared that Valio milk produced in Finland by Valio Limited, and other dairy products from the company are easy to digest and they contain low carbohydrates and high protein content.

According to him, “the milk has the natural taste, colour and aroma of milk without sweetness, which can give the consumer the pleasant healthy experience,” adding that it has no preservatives.

“The milk is suitable for drinking, cooking and baking. It is good for our health,” he said.

Dr. Amos disclosed that Valio Milk comes into the Nigerian market in four variants of “Valio lactose-free whole milk; Valio lactose-free semi-skimmed milk; Valio lactose-free skimmed milk; and Valio skimmed milk.” He explained that Valio Milk is a product for the entire family – from age one and above.” He noted that it is good for pregnant women as it will help them to breast feed and live a healthy live after delivery.

According to Valio, which has a global turnover of EUR 1.7bn, it is the first company to provide lactose-free milk products to Nigerians in powdered form.

According to Medical research, lactose is a natural carbohydrate in milk which is also called milk-sugar. Lactose intolerance is a condition in which unabsorbed lactose causes digestive problems, such as diarrhoea, flatulence and bloating, with approximately 65 percent of the human population having a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy. The research report further explained that lactose intolerance in adulthood is most prevalent in people of East Asian descent, affecting more than 90 percent of adults in some of these communities, and is also very common in people of West African, Arab, Jewish, Greek, and Italian descent.

Dr. Amos said that there isn’t a cure for lactose intolerance and no known way to make the body produce more lactase. “But it can be managed by limiting consumption of dairy products, eating lactose-reduced food such as Valio milk,” he advised.

Valio powdered milk is exclusively marketed and promoted in Nigeria by Thompson & Grace Pharmaceuticals Limited, Lagos.

Speaking at the unveiling of the product at the Embassy of Finland in Abuja, Senior Vice President of Valio Company in Finland, Mr Paavo Salminen, said that most lactose-intolerant consumers do not use milk at all, substituting it with water, but with Valio lactose-free milk, such consumers can now finally come back to dairy.

“Nigeria is a great country with excellent people. We are introducing this lactose-free milk in the country as a means to improve the health of the people as well as the economy of the nation”, Salminen said. He explained that Valio lactose-free milk is made from fresh premium-quality Finnish milk that is collected from Valio’s milk farmers in Finland.

Finland Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Jyrki Pulkkinen, said his country is known for good and healthy foods, adding that introduction of Valio Milk from his country will further improve the relationship between the two countries.

H.E. Pulkkinen said lactose-free milk was a success story in his country, expressing optimism that the milk would record success in Nigeria.

At the unveiling of the product at the Lagos Intercontinental Hotels, Dr. Kingsley Akinroye, Executive Director of Nigeria Heart Foundation and Honourary Consul of Finland to Nigeria, encouraged Nigerians to consume Valio Milk as good nutrition can help to conquer any heart-related diseases, noting that Finnish people have a life expectancy of 70 years due to good nutrition.

See More photos at the launch

L-R: Mr. Fadi El Chami, Export Area Manager, Africa/Middle East of Valio Limited, Finland, His Excellency, Dr. Jyrki Pulkkinen, Ambassador of the Finland to Nigeria; Dr. Isaac Amos, Managing Director/Chief Executive of Thompson & Grace Pharmaceuticals Limited, Exclusive Representatives of Valio Limited in Nigeria; Mr. Paavo Salminen, Senior Vice President of Valio Limited, and Mrs. Uduak Isaac Amos, at the unveiling of lactose-free Valio Powdered Milk at the Finland Embassy, Abuja last week.

Honorary Consul of Finland in Lagos, Nigeria, Dr Kinsley A. Akinroye; Mr. Paavo Salminen, Senior Vice President of Valio Limited, Finland; Ms. Suvi Laakso, Second Secretary, Embassy of Finland, Abuja, Nigeria; Dr. Isaac Amos, Managing Director/Chief Executive of Thompson & Grace Pharmaceuticals Limited, Exclusive Representatives of Valio Limited in Nigeria; Mrs. Uduak Amos, and Mr. Olu Raheem, Honourable Trade Commissioner of Finland to West Africa, testing the lactose-free Valio Powdered Milk produced in Finland which was unveiled last week at Lagos Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island.

Dr. Isaac Amos, making a presentation on lactose-free Valio Powdered Milk at Lagos Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island.