Mengniu launches drinkable milk meal containing oats and wheat grains – a milestone product in the history of beverages with perceptible added value
Mengniu, GEA and SIG Combibloc: achieving a shared goa
The result of the latest joint project by major Chinese dairy enterprise Mengniu Dairy, process technology developer GEA and packaging and filling machine manufacturer SIG Combibloc fits in one hand. And it is right in line with the tastes of Chinese consumers. With the market launch of the new milk drink with cereal grains under the high-end ‘Telunsu’ (that means: ‘Deluxe’) brand, Mengniu has opened up a new product category in China: the milk meal you can drink. The milk meal is available in aseptic carton packs from SIG Combibloc.
Milk meals are just the ticket for modern, dynamic consumers in China. Often, those people do not have time to fit in a solid meal in their busy everyday life. In light of this, the product category of the healthy and nutritious milk beverage is attracting more interest. For anyone who does not have much time to spare to grab a bite, but still needs their food to be high in quality, the premium Deluxe milk with oat and wheat grains in the carton pack combiblocMini 250 ml is ideal. The combination of healthy milk and highly nutritious grains can potentially replace a meal.
Stella Yan, Head of Marketing Asia-Pacific North at SIG Combibloc: “The Deluxe milk with oat and wheat grains, safely packaged for long life in aseptic carton packs, is a milestone product in the history of beverages with perceptible added value and we are confident that it will be another successful product from Mengniu Dairy. For consumers, the grain and dairy beverage is a valuable contribution to a balanced diet. This innovative product has been made possible thanks to a never before undertaken project by our company in collaboration with the experts from Mengniu Dairy and GEA. Each step was taken in close cooperation – from generating the product idea and developing suitable formulations, to the selection and sourcing of the ingredients, the choice of the packaging and its design, right up to the newly developed product processing method and, last but not least, the aseptic filling. From the first minute onwards, the relevant teams from the three companies were involved and offered valuable, constructive input which resulted in the creation of this unique product. We’re very proud of that”.
Mengniu Dairy Group Co. is one of the leading dairy enterprises in China, and one of the country’s biggest. The company includes more than 50 production plants at 31 locations in 20 provinces. Annual production capacity is 7.7 million tonnes. Mengniu employs a total of around 30,000 people. Annual turnover was 7.4 billion Euros (50 billion RMB) in 2014. Mengniu sets its sights very high when it comes to innovations – not just for the Chinese market, but across the globe as well. The company has recently concluded various strategic cooperation agreements, for instance with Arla (Denmark), Danone (France), White Wave (USA) and AsureQuality (New Zealand).
Technology with plenty of potential
The filling of the Deluxe milk containing real oat and wheat grains is possible thanks to the drinksplus technology from SIG Combibloc. Using this technology, beverages with up to ten per cent natural particulate content, such as fruit or grains, can be processed and aseptically filled in carton packs on standard filling machines from SIG Combibloc for liquid dairy products and non-carbonated soft drinks.SongJidong, General Manager of Brand Management Center 5 (Marketing) at Mengniu Dairy: “According to our most recent consumer study, consumer requirements can be sub-divided into six major areas. One of the key areas is the need for a high-quality meal substitute. This area has not yet been tackled in the dairy sector – and that’s where we’ve set to work.”
The development of the new milk and grains beverage from Mengniu included an extensive series of pilot trials at SIG Combibloc’s research and development centre in Linnich, Germany – a total of eight different product formulations was devised, which was whittled down to a single favourite. The project teams from Mengniu and SIG Combibloc were assisted by expert raw material suppliers and GEA, supplier of process technology. In this way, the optimal formulation was found and the perfect module for processing the Deluxe milk and filling it with real grains was developed.
Mengniu’s main target group for the Deluxe milk with oat and wheat grains is discerning consumers who have a particular lifestyle, and in connection with that also have a particular vision for the quality of their food. Healthy foods that can be consumed quickly and easily in any situation are very popular among these consumers. The Deluxe milk provides food intake that is quick and healthy, because the product is made from premium milk with 3.3 grams of milk protein per 100 ml. This is supplemented with top-quality oat and wheat grains. The oat grains come from Australia and, like the grains of premium black wheat, represent the ultimate in quality.
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