Nestlé Teams Up With Helaina on Human Milk Protein Research

Nestlé and Helaina have launched a multi-year partnership to expand research into bioactive proteins found in human breast milk, aiming to better understand their role in infant nutrition and early-life development. The collaboration combines Nestlé’s expertise in nutrition science with Helaina’s precision fermentation technology, which produces human-identical proteins at commercial scale.

The agreement focuses on studying bioactive proteins, a category of compounds naturally present in breast milk that contribute to immune function, nutrient absorption, gut health, and overall development during infancy. While Helaina is best known for producing human lactoferrin through precision fermentation, the partnership may also evaluate additional proteins currently in the company’s development pipeline.

According to information reported by AgFunderNews, Helaina founder and CEO Laura Katz said the infant nutrition sector requires extensive scientific validation before introducing new ingredients. She explained that while substantial research already exists around lactoferrin, additional studies remain essential when applying emerging technologies to infant nutrition products.

Human lactoferrin is one of the most abundant bioactive proteins in breast milk. It plays a key role in iron metabolism, immune system support, gut health, and inflammatory response regulation. Helaina produces the protein using a genetically engineered yeast strain through precision fermentation, creating a version designed to match the protein found in human milk.

Katz noted that Helaina has already published 11 scientific papers related to its human lactoferrin platform and has expanded partnerships beyond infant nutrition into adult health categories, including women’s health, gut health, immunity, active nutrition, and hair health.

According to AgFunderNews, Helaina is also conducting clinical studies examining the impact of human lactoferrin on iron status and menstrual health. The company reports additional preclinical findings related to immune support and gut function, with results consistently compared against bovine lactoferrin, the traditional form commonly used in nutrition products.

The collaboration represents another step in Nestlé’s broader innovation strategy. Isabelle Bureau-Franz, Head of the Nestlé Product Technology Center for Nutrition & Health, stated that research partnerships help the company deepen scientific understanding of nutrients and bioactives important during early life while providing access to emerging technologies.

Beyond research, Helaina has achieved significant manufacturing progress. The company says it has scaled production of its precision-fermented human lactoferrin, marketed under the brand name effera, to metric-ton volumes through manufacturing partners. It has also established commercial relationships with multiple nutrition companies and continues to expand its global footprint.

Industry interest in human lactoferrin has grown as companies seek ingredients that more closely replicate the composition of breast milk. While bovine lactoferrin is already available through conventional and fermentation-based production methods, Helaina argues that the human version offers distinct biological advantages due to structural differences between the two proteins.

The partnership highlights the growing role of precision fermentation, a technology increasingly used to produce proteins traditionally sourced from animals. Similar approaches have already enabled the commercial production of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which are now widely incorporated into premium infant formula products worldwide.

As scientific understanding of breast milk components continues to evolve, researchers and nutrition companies are increasingly exploring how bioactive proteins can support infant development while opening new opportunities across broader health and wellness markets.