Land O’Lakes Bulks Up Its Protein Capacity
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Land O’Lakes Bulks Up Its Protein Capacity
The cooperative is expanding its processing facilities to capitalize on consumer demand for more protein products.
By Liz Fedor
October 09, 2026
Heather Anfang, Land O’Lakes executive vice president and president of its dairy foods business, notes that:
"Every year in the United States, we eat more dairy. If you look at what has driven that over time, it’s really been cheese, butter, and yogurt."
Land O’Lakes, a $16 billion-a-year Fortune 500 company, is expanding its capacity to meet this growing demand by overhauling its Tulare, California processing facility to sell more protein-based ingredients to other food companies.
Specifically:
- They will be bringing in more milk to the plant.
- They will re-operationalize buildings currently not in use.
About 1,100 dairy farms produce milk for Land O’Lakes, with approximately 10% located in the Central Valley of California, representing 40-45% of their total milk supply.
The focus is on casein protein, which offers slower digestibility and longer satiety for consumers. Land O’Lakes aims to produce:
- Ultra-filtered milk for beverage companies.
- Milk protein powder for use in protein bars and other products.