Business & Money | Thursday 24 January, 2019 3:30 am |

Tetra Pak, the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company is participating in the 3rdGlobal Dairy Innovation Congress 2019 where it is showcasing its growing partnership with the dairy industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by implementing the latest technology to maintain the highest standards of food safety, operational performance and sustainability.

According to Tetra Pak’s research and findings, the global dairy sector continues to grow, driven by consumer interest in pure milk and ‘value-added’ milk. For example, lactose-free white milk sales saw a 16 per cent growth in Western Europe between 2012 and 2015, while there was a 30 per cent growth in organic milk sales in Asia Pacific.

Tetra Pak discusses the impact of cheese on society at the Congress – and its growing consumption around the world. Cheese makes up 42 per cent of the share of edible dairy, making it the biggest dairy food in the world.

Niels Hougaard, Managing Director Tetra Pak Arabia Area, said: “The dairy sector in the region is rapidly growing and there is a particular demand for more cheese products. Today, the world produces more cheese than coffee, tea and cocoa beans and there is a tremendous growth opportunity for dairy brands to deliver industrial and artisanal cheese products. Our research has shown that there is a greater demand (76 per cent) for industrial cheese in the Middle East and a lesser (24 per cent) demand for artisanal cheese.”

Hougaard added: “The growing convenience of packaged cheese is driving its popularity in several markets around the world and in the Middle East and therefore there is a strong need to ensure food safety through packaging. Tetra Pak uses an innovative approach to sterile packaging, long with multi-layered materials to keep food safe, full of flavour and bursting with nutritional value for months on the shelf.”

Tetra Pak also found that 49 per cent of consumers prefer food and beverage packing that helps them understand how healthy the content is and 42 per cent prefer food and beverage packaging that clearly communicates how and where they are produced.