The Children’s Dairy Factory (or ZDMP in Russian) is located in Moscow on the same premises as Lianozovo Dairy Plant. ZDMP has been a part of the Wimm-Bill-Dann production and trading group since 1997.
When it was opened in 1982, the factory used Swedish equipment and was the most modern dairy enterprise in the country. In 2000, reconstruction was carried out at the factory and the basic structure of the plant was totally renewed. Production capacity at that time was increased by 80%. As a result of the modernization, which was concluded in 2005, production grew by another 80%. Today, the production capacity of the enterprise is 220 tons of finished dairy products per day.
ZDMP produces more than 20 types of dairy products under the ‘Agusha’ trademark. This brand has existed since 2000. Today, the factory’s product range includes sterilized milk and sour cream for youngsters, two types of kefir and cottage cheese. ZDMP also produces breast milk substitute – milk mixes of four brands and two types: sour milk and sterilized – for children from newborns to five months. All recipes for children’s food products are developed in conjunction with the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.
A unique product from the Agusha range is drinking yogurt for children beginning at eight months. The yogurt contains whey proteins, which are very nutritious for young children, fruits and natural aromatics developed for older infants. No other facility in the world makes more adapted drinking yogurt for children of this age.
Many companies make cheese curds for children, but the Agusha cheese curds have no competitors in terms of quality on the Russian market at least. They are produced using membrane technology through ultra-filtration. Tetra Pak equipment at ZDMP permits a degree of thickening to 10% fat and protein. The product produced is very thick and saturated with whey protein and casenin. The metal and ceramic membranes produce high pressure. Due to this process, the whey proteins do not leave whey, as often happens, but remain in the curds. These proteins are the most nutritious and are best absorbed. Therefore they are very good for infants. For this reason, Agusha ‘baby’ curds are relied upon by athletes and gym denizens.
These curds are also used for the treatment of the seriously ill, including in intensive care facilities, for feeding through tubes.
Some 40% of the production of ZDMP goes to state-financed social purchases: the factory supplies dairy kitchens, children’s hospitals, large clinics and Moscow and Moscow region. The remaining 60%, the commercial part, is realized through the ordinary sale of goods in shops.