The Future of Milk Is Being Shaped by Efficiency and Sustainable Solutions

On World Milk Day, Tetra Pak highlighted the critical role of milk consumption in public health, the importance of safe packaging, and the future of sustainable milk supply chains. The company disclosed that milk producers can achieve efficiency gains of up to 57% with current Tetra Pak solutions and equipment.

In assessments made on 1 June, World Milk Day, emphasis was placed on the importance of milk and milk products for human health. Milk plays a critical role in bone development and immune system function, particularly through essential nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, selenium, riboflavin and B vitamins.

However, global milk consumption is reported to fall short of desired levels. Per capita annual milk consumption worldwide is expressed as 20.7 litres, while in Turkey this figure stands at 14.6 litres. Consumption of pasteurised and UHT-based packaged milk is recorded at 1,263 million litres annually.

Tetra Pak points out that aseptic processing and packaging technologies allow milk to retain its nutritional value by being exposed to high temperatures for a short period, and to reach consumers with a long shelf life without the addition of any preservatives.

EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED TRANSFORMATION IN THE MILK SECTOR
Tetra Pak provides technologies that ensure 33 billion litres of milk worldwide reach consumers safely each year. In Turkey, the company is also leading the transformation of the milk sector through innovation, food safety and sustainable packaging solutions.

According to the company's research, modernising existing production lines can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 47%, water consumption by 45% and product losses by up to 57%.

"MILK IS A FOUNDATION STONE OF HEALTHY GENERATIONS"
Eliseo Barcas, General Manager of Tetra Pak Central Eurasia, highlighted the importance of milk consumption for public health in his assessment on World Milk Day.

Barcas said: "Milk is one of the foundation stones for the development of healthy generations and balanced nutrition. At Tetra Pak, we work in collaboration with all stakeholders from producers to consumers for safe and nutritious milk. Our aim is to strengthen sustainability at every link of the milk value chain and thus make a long-term contribution to public health." He also noted that through Dairy Products Centre projects, they provide training and technical support to small farmers, strengthen local production by establishing suitable milk collection infrastructure, and reduce food waste.