Dairy companies are shifting their focus in China from babies to adults, as a falling birth rate and intense competition force them to search for new areas of growth in what has long been one of the world’s biggest markets for milk.

The A2 milk company, headquartered in New Zealand, last month announced new milk powder products for the “adult and ageing population” in China, adding to similar products offered by companies such as Danone, Abbott, Fonterra and Nestlé as well as domestic names such as Yili and Feihe.

“There’s a lot of attention now on senior nutrition, sports nutrition, and other applications for these [dairy] ingredients,” said Conor O’Sullivan, China manager for Bord Bia, Ireland’s food trade body. “To some extent new occasions for consumer dairy are being created,” he added.