IGOR Gorgonzola, world leader in the production and marketing of Gorgonzola PDO, and the VanDrie Group, a Dutch multinational global leader in the veal sector and a reference operator in dairy ingredients, through its subsidiary Serum Italia, announce the establishment of Dolce Vita Proteins, a new company dedicated to the international marketing of premium protein powder from Italian whey.

Established on 22 April 2026, the newco was created with the aim of enhancing and distributing WPC 80 and WPI proteins for premium human consumption globally, produced at the new plant built by IGOR, with an investment of € 70 million, located in Cameri in the province of Novara, in the same industrial area as its headquarters.

This new protein powder production plant, owned by IGOR, represents one of the most technologically advanced production sites in Italy and among the most advanced in Europe. Designed according to the highest standards of efficiency, food safety and environmental sustainability, it is an industrial investment of absolute importance, capable of combining technological innovation, rigorous quality control and circular economy, fully enhancing a raw material of excellence.

Through Dolce Vita Proteins, IGOR integrates its production expertise and the distinctive quality of its whey with the consolidated industrial and commercial experience and the widespread international presence of the VanDrie Group in the dairy ingredient markets. The result is a highly specialized platform, focused on the premium segments of the global food and nutrition industry.

“With Dolce Vita Proteins we are taking a strategic step in our family’s path of growth and industrial diversification,” says Fabio Leonardi, CEO of IGOR. “The Leonardi family has always invested with a long-term vision, focusing on innovation, industrial solidity and high-profile partnerships. The agreement with the VanDrie Group unites two family businesses that, for generations, have handed down the same shared values, work culture and a long-term entrepreneurial vision.”

“The newco launched with the VanDrie Group, an international partner of absolute importance, which combines industrial expertise and in-depth knowledge of global markets, was created with the aim of establishing itself as a world reference point in the segment of premium proteins from Italian whey, of superior quality, without preservatives and made entirely of stainless steel,” concludes the CEO of IGOR.

With this transaction, the Van Drie Group strengthens its presence in the high value-added ingredients sector.

“We are proud to start this collaboration with IGOR Gorgonzola, a recognized expression of Italian agri-food excellence in the world,” says Herman VanDrie, CEO of the VanDrie Group. «Dolce Vita Proteins was born from the integration of a production capacity of the highest level and a consolidated global commercial structure. The international market is increasingly demanding premium, traceable and sustainable proteins: this newco responds precisely to this demand.”

“Thanks to one of the most advanced plants in Europe and an Italian raw material of extraordinary quality, Dolce Vita Proteins has all the elements to become a strategic partner for the food and nutrition industry worldwide,” says Paulo De Waal, CEO of Serum Italia.

IGOR was assisted, for the legal aspects, by the Cantore Law Firm.

The VanDrie Group was advised by EY.

With the birth of Dolce Vita Proteins, IGOR Gorgonzola and the VanDrie Group consolidate a long-term industrial partnership, based on innovation, technological excellence and sustainable value creation on international markets.