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Indian dairy company MilkyMist has partnered with SIG and AnaBio Technologies to launch the ‘world’s first’ long-life probiotic buttermilk in aseptic carton packs.

This development represents a major breakthrough in the beverage industry, allowing probiotics to be incorporated into shelf-stable drinks in aseptic cartons for the first time.

Until now, incorporating live probiotics into long-life beverages has been hindered by the heat treatments used in ultra-high temperature (UHT) processing, which compromised probiotic viability. AnaBio Technologies’ patented encapsulation technology, combined with SIG’s gentle aseptic filling technology has overcome this challenge, enabling MilkyMist to offer probiotic buttermilk that remains shelf-stable and does not require refrigeration.

MilkyMist CEO K Rathnam said: “We are thrilled to offer our probiotic buttermilk, a groundbreaking product that combines health and convenience, reduces energy consumption and food waste thus helping us bringing the goodness of probiotics to the people. This game-changing product not only offers consumers a healthy and nutritious option but also ensures long shelf-life without the need for refrigeration."

Christoph Wegener, CMO of SIG, commented: “We are proud to display an ingenious example of a new product category expansion: long-life probiotic buttermilk in an aseptic carton pack. It has health benefits and overcomes the limitations of fresh probiotic drinks. With a longer shelf life and no need for refrigeration, we significantly increase the reach and can bring the goodness of probiotics to the people. The way is paved for many more amazing long-life probiotic products in our aseptic packaging solutions.”

AnaBio’s patented encapsulation technology protects the probiotics with a protein coat, ensuring they withstand high temperatures during buttermilk processing, and remain stable throughout the shelf life of the product. Once consumed, enzymes naturally present in the intestine break down the protein coat, releasing the probiotics to colonise the intestine and deliver their gut and immune health benefits.

Aidan Fitzsimons, CEO of AnaBio Technologies, added: “We are truly excited to partner with MilkyMist and SIG to bring the health benefits of live probiotics to the consumer in a long life aseptic dairy drink incorporating encapsulated probiotics. Through the collaboration of the three companies' expert teams, MilkyMist will offer consumers a great tasting product, delivering the health benefits of live probiotics, in a convenient long shelf-life format. This is a real step forward in innovation in the field of probiotic beverage products and represents a significant contribution to consumer health.”

Vandana Tandan, head of market India and Bangladesh at SIG, concluded: “The pioneering launch will highlight the commitment to bringing health and sustainability to the forefront of the Indian beverage industry. With this cutting-edge innovation, we are set to further develop the probiotic dairy market, providing a long-lasting, gut-healthy product that meets the evolving needs of today’s health-conscious consumers. We are thrilled to see MilkyMist launching the very first probiotic buttermilk drink in our SIG XSlimBloc carton pack. A true step-change innovation in the Indian dairy market.”

#SIG #AnaBioTechnologies #MilkyMist #India #probiotics #dairy