AQ Assured by AsureQuality, New Zealand's Government-owned food assurance company.
Maui Sheep Whole Milk Powder
25kg
PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES VERIFIED BY AQ ASSURED
- NZ sheep milk
- A2-type milk
- Pasture fed
- Free range
- High in calcium
- Natural source of protein
- No additives
- Antibiotic free
- Halal certified
Origin
Maui Sheep Whole Milk Powder is made using New Zealand milk from free range sheep located within the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand.
The milk is sourced from 10 exclusive milk supply farms which are all located within a short distance of the factory.
A2-type milk
The raw milk used in the manufacture of Maui Sheep Milk Powder is sourced from Maui’s own unique Southern Cross™ breed of sheep, which naturally produce the A2 β-casein type protein.
Independent laboratory testing confirms that only the A2 β-casein type protein was observed in samples of finished product.
(The level of A1 β-casein is below the limit of reporting for the analytical method used)
Pasture Raised, Pasture Fed
The farms supplying sheep milk to Maui Milk use a pastoral-based farming system without the use of indoor barns.
The sheep free range outside all year round where they graze on fresh grass and forage crops as their main food source.
They are provided with supplementary feed to ensure their nutritional needs are met.
Maui Milk holds a
NZ FernMark License (Licence No.100123)
which verifies that the product has been made in New Zealand.
Nutrition
Ingredients: NZ Sheep Milk, Lactose
Maui Sheep Whole Milk Powder is made from fresh sheep milk that has been standardised, pasteurised, and evaporated before carefully spray drying without the use of preservatives, sugar, colouring or flavouring.
A recent New Zealand study suggests that sheep milk may be more readily digested than other milk sources.
Maui Sheep Whole Milk Powder is shelf stable for 24 months when unopened and stored under ambient conditions.
Each single serve of 150mL is:
- High in Calcium
- A natural source of protein
- A natural source of Vitamin B2 and B12
- Contains all essential amino acids
New Zealand Sheep Milk Nutritional Composition:
| Component | NZ Sheep Milk | Cow Milk |
| Average | ||
| Total Protein (%) | 6.2 | 3.3-3.9 |
| Fat/Lipids (%) | 6.7 | 4.6-5.3 |
| Calcium (mg/100mL) | 193 | 114 |
| Phosphorus (mg/100mL) | 157 | 87 |
| Magnesium (mg/100mL) | 20 | 7-12 |
| Vitamin B2 (ug/100mL) | 406 | 200 |
| Vitamin B12 (ug/100mL) | 0.68 | 0.27-0.7 |
Note. This data has been retrieved from Ag Research (n.d). New Zealand Sheep Milk Nutritional Composition.
Safety & Quality
Laboratory Tested for Safety and Quality
Maui Sheep Whole Milk Powder is tested for safety and quality, using both factory (in-house) and independent accredited laboratories.
Testing is undertaken at each step along the supply chain, from the raw milk on farm, during processing through to the final product, ensuring the product complies with NZ regulations and standards. Testing includes:
- Physical attributes
- Chemical analysis
- Microbial testing
- Contaminants monitoring
Produced Under New Zealand Government Regulations
New Zealand has Acts and Regulations to ensure all dairy products are safe for consumers and that manufacturers use fair and sustainable practices. All dairy products must comply with the Animal Products Act, 1999 and all milk suppliers must meet the New Zealand Animal Welfare standards.
Auditing
All farms, transporters, processing and storage facilities operate under a Risk Management Programme (RMP). They are routinely audited to demonstrate compliance against the requirements of their RMP.
Supply Chain
There are systems in place throughout Maui Milk’s supply chain to ensure that high standards of safety and quality are being met.
Click on each icon to learn more.
The Farm
Farm Assurances
All milk is supplied from farms that have a verified Risk Management Plan (RMP) approved by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to ensure that the health and welfare of their sheep and the quality of their milk is maintained.
There are regular independent audits of each farm to ensure these requirements are being met.
- Each animal is uniquely identified using a numbered ear tag.
- Health checks and tests are regularly undertaken on sheep.
- Any feed supplements are checked to ensure they are palm kernel extract (PKE) and GMO-free.
- Records of milking are kept that include the date, time, quantity and temperature of collection, the temperature of the milk is continuously monitored.
- Milk is filtered and cooled on the farm to ensure compliance with industry standards, then stored on the farm for collection.
- Milk is collected from the farm using insulated tanker trucks.
- A sample of the raw milk is taken and independently tested for a range of microbial, physical and chemical tests against regulatory requirements.
- Milk is not accepted by the processing factory if it does not meet required specifications.
- Milk is transported to the milk processor which is located within a 165km radius from each farm
The Factory
Factory Assurances
The factory operates under a Risk Management Programme (RMP) as required by the Animal Products Act, 1999 and is Halal Certified.
- Samples of raw milk are tested to ensure quality and safety prior to further processing.
- The milk is kept in a segregated silo until drying.
- The raw milk is heat treated (pasteurised).
- The sheep milk is concentrated using an evaporator to lower the moisture content.
- The concentrated milk is passed into the spray drier where is it turned into a fine powder.
- The product is bulk packed into 25kg multiwall bags with polyethylene liners to maintain product quality.
- Each bag is coded for traceability.
- The finished product is laboratory tested to ensure compliance against specification. This includes chemical, microbial, heavy metals and physical tests.
Transport
The transport company has a current Risk Management Programme (RMP) registered with the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) before it can freight any dairy products.
This is a requirement of the Animal Products Act 1999. The transport company is audited by approved independent auditors to ensure standards are being met and maintained.
Shipping
The shipping company ensures that the products are accompanied by all export documents that are required by the importing country including:
- Customs documents
- Official export certificates (issued by the NZ Ministry of Primary Industries, to ensure the product complies with NZ Regulations)
- Certificates of analysis (containing laboratory results from chemical, microbial, contaminant and physical testing)
All documentation required by the importing country must be completed and approved before it can be loaded onto the ship.
Environmental
Southern Cross™ Sheep Breed
Established in 2017 Maui Milk’s purpose-built breeding programme is located at Waikino Station where they have developed a unique dairy sheep breed called the Southern Cross™.
Maui Milk suppliers have exclusive access to Southern Cross™ rams every season which assures them of genetic gain and genetic diversity.
Exclusive Milk Supply
The 10 farms supplying the sheep milk do so exclusively, using a typical NZ pastoral-based farming system where dairy sheep are free range and pasture fed.
To ensure animal health is maintained Maui Milk’s sheep milk supply farms seek support from professional veterinarians and must comply with the requirements stated in the New Zealand Animal Welfare Act 1999, which is governed by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Messages from Maui Milk
From the place sheep call home
If there’s a single place in the world that sheep would call home, it would be New Zealand - a country known for having more sheep than people.
Maui Milk was born in 2014 out of a very simple belief, that New Zealand has all the ingredients necessary to create a better, more nutritious and more sustainable dairy product.
Since 2017 Maui Milk's breeding programme has used selective breeding to develop a unique sheep variety that is perfectly tailored to the New Zealand environment. Southern Cross™ sheep are able to consistently deliver high yields of the most densely nutritious milk product possible for our customers.
In 2021 Maui Food Group formed to align Maui Milk’s genetics programme, milk production, processing and marketing, supporting us to take our sheep milk to the world.
Sheep milk nutrition
We believe New Zealand sheep milk is the next big thing in mainstream health. Not only is it packed full of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, it tastes great too - it's mild, sweet and creamy, much like cow's milk.
Sheep have been raised for milk for thousands of years and were milked before cows, making dairy a huge part our diet for somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 years.
Being rich in essential nutrients, milk has nourished families worldwide for generation after generation—and we’re proud to be part of continuing this healthy tradition.
