India’s leading flexible packaging solutions provider Uflex Limited presented its latest ESL Aseptic Flexi-Pouch machine for packaging milk that can extend shelf life to up to 90 days at the recently concluded India International Dairy Expo 2017 in Mumbai. The machine was a show stopper for the company as it attracted interest from some of the biggest players in the dairy industry. “Our new offering for the dairy industry attracted much attention at the show. We met with senior decision makers from some of the biggest players in the dairy industry and the feedback has been extremely encouraging. The technology that we are offering is at par with European standards but at much affordable price coordinates,” said Ajay Tandon, president and chief executive officer – engineering business, Uflex.
Launched last year in September, Uflex is the only Indian company to manufacture this kind of machine. The machine is capable of handling various combinations of multilayer extruded/blown polyethylene film including a black layer for UV protection with strong barrier properties to pack milk, juices, creams, etc. As a fully integrated packaging solution provider, Uflex offers the especially extruded or blown film too. The machine has an inbuilt automatic CIP and SIP system and can pack milk in SKUs ranging from 70 ml to 1500 ml volumetrically. The filling speed for these variants ranges between 5000 and 2500 packs per head per hour. The machine can be customized to pack other beverages as well.
GVN Prasad, senior general manager – marketing said, “This technology will be able to eliminate refrigeration and will help avoid cold chain. We have started speaking to potential customers in the market and their response has been very positive.”
Milk is a highly perishable product and under normal pouch packaging does not last beyond two days even if kept in refrigeration. It is extremely susceptible to infestation by bacteria and other micro-organisms. This nature of the product reduces its shelf life, which has been a major issue with brand owners. Although aseptic technology is not new, it has not gained wider acceptance in India.
“Though it is an existing concept, it failed to gain popularity in India because the technology was only available from European companies and it has been very expensive to import. With our state-of-the-art machine development upholding our commitment towards the current government’s flagship ‘Make in India’ scheme at attractive price coordinates meeting all European specifications and features, we strongly hope aseptic technology will gain the popularity that it deserves,” said Tandon.
In addition to the ESL Aseptic Flexi-Pouch machine, which was the main attraction at the event, Uflex also showcased its form fill and seal machine model FFSCT-90. This machine is used to pack powder and granules in quantities ranging from 50 gm to 1000 gm.
Another technology on display at the Uflex stand was its pick, fill and seal machine, which can be used to pack liquids, powders and granules among others at a speed of 60 pouches per minute.
