SIG, a leading packaging solutions provider, has supplied Milky Mist Dairy Food with advanced filling technology. The installation of three high-speed SIG filling machines for aseptic carton packs will empower the South India-based dairy product manufacturer to expand its offering, increase its output, and provide innovative packaging solutions to Indian consumers. Milky Mist will be able to offer products in a wide range of different packaging formats and sizes to suit different consumption occasions and price points.

Milky Mist will utilize three SIG filling machines at its manufacturing plant near Erode, Tamil Nadu: an SIG SmileSmall 24 Aseptic, SIG Midi 12 Aseptic, and SIG XSlim 12 Aseptic. Each of these highly efficient filling machines will offer Milky Mist maximum flexibility, combined with speed, ensuring consumers get to enjoy its products in a large variety of packaging formats, volumes, and designs. The packs can be combined with highly convenient opening solutions without complex setups. This will result in increased operational efficiency and cost savings.

Vandana Tandan, head of Markets India & Bangladesh at SIG, said, "In the dairy sector speed and flexibility are paramount. SIG’s filling technology can help with both. We are looking forward to this promising partnership, that will provide an excellent opportunity for both of us to expand our reach in India."

SIG's advanced filling technology will also provide a distinct advantage to Milky Mist in maintaining the highest standards of product quality and safety. Unlike other systems on the market, SIG carton packs are delivered as flat-packed sleeves with the long side already hygienically sealed. In the filling process, the products are filled into the open top SIG carton packs. Only after this filling process the packages are ultrasonically sealed above the filling level. This prevents product residues or fibers from being trapped in the sealing seam, which could lead to leakage or contamination. As a result, the products' quality, taste, nutrients, and natural colors are preserved for up to 12 months without refrigeration or preservatives.

Sathish Kumar T, founder and managing director at Milky Mist, said, "The partnership with SIG aligns well with our core values of providing safe and high-quality dairy products to consumers. We are convinced that the cutting-edge filling technology from SIG will enable us to enhance our offerings and cater to the evolving needs of our valued customers."

For food and beverage companies, an agile and flexible system for filling is crucial. But many may find that when flexibility in their assets needs to go up, speed and efficiency will go down and vice versa. The key to high-performance filling is to ensure both can increase, so manufacturers never have to compromise on high speed or flexibility.

SIG offers unique and flexible aseptic solutions. With SIG’s fast and flexible filling system, customers will always be able to react quickly and efficiently to whatever trends are shaping the market. SIG’s technology makes it quick and easy to switch between different formats, volumes, designs and products. For instance, with the SIG Midi 12 Aseptic filling machine Milky Mist can fill 12,000 SIG MidiBloc, SIG MidiFit or SIG MidiStyle carton packs per hour in three different volume sizes: 500, 750, and 1,000ml.

With the SIG XSlim 12 Aseptic filling machine, Milky Mist will be able to introduce dairy products in SIG XSlimBloc carton packs in nine different volumes from 80 to 200ml to reach diverse consumer groups and cover a wide range of different price points – and it only takes less than 15 minutes to complete the volume change.

The SIG SmileSmall 24 Aseptic filling machine, capable of filling 24,000 carton packs per hour with volumes ranging from 180 to 250 ml, primarily covers the premium product segment. With the SIG Drinksplus technology integrated into the machine, Milky Mist can aseptically fill beverages with bits such as real fruit or nut pieces in SIG SmileSmall carton packs. Milky Mist will also use the SIG filling machines to pack products with higher viscosity like dairy creams.

Dr K. Rathnam, chief executive officer at Milky Mist Dairy, said, “With the help of sophisticated SIG filling technology, we will explore our packaging options to meet the diverse needs of our consumers. The flexibility offered by SIG in terms of formats, volumes and products can help us speed up our processes and reduce costs. We are also expanding the beverage categories to cover all consumer needs from basic to specific. This will help increase our presence and gain significant market share.”

Milky Mist's consistent commitment to offering premium quality across its product range aligns perfectly with SIG's passion for packaging excellence. Through this collaboration, Milky Mist is expecting to increase consumer engagement and meet their evolving demands.