Packaging

The Future is Fresh:

Indomilk Invests in Compact
Filler for Gable Top Milk
O
NE OF Indonesia’s largest dairies,
Indomilk was established in 1967 and
now produces a wide range of dairy
products such as pasteurised milk, long life
liquid milk, powdered milk, sweetened
condensed milk, sterilised milk, yoghurt and
b u t t e r. A n I S O 9 0 0 2 c e r t i f i e d c o m p a n y,
Indomilk employs a workforce of more than
1,000 and operates three factories: two in
greater Jakarta and one in East Java.
Indomilk has enjoyed a fruitful relationship
with the Swedish food packaging and
processing company Tetra Pak, which started
when Tetra Pak installed a UHT processing line
in Indomilk’s Indolakto plant in Sukabumi in
1997. This factory now runs seven UHT lines,
With its domestic liquid milk market rapidly consisting of a TBA/8 1 litre Slim, two TBA/
outpacing traditional sweetened condensed 19 200 ml Slim units and four TBA/19 125 ml
Slim units.
milk and powdered milk products, Indonesian Producing over 22,000 tons of UHT milk
dairy Indomilk is casting its eye on the per year under Indomilk brand, the company’s
promising fresh milk segment. The company products are available in both modern and
has relaunched its pasteurised milk range traditional trade outlets all over Indonesia.
following the commissioning of a TR/22 Indomilk positions their UHT milk to meet the
gable top carton filling line that gives needs of different market segments: the TBA
1 litre Slim package is meant for family/
it the ability to offer convenient easy-open industrial consumption, the TBA 200 ml Slim
closures and volume flexibility to cater carton is for teenagers and adults on the move,
to changing market conditions. while the TBA 125 ml Slim package is for
younger children. The products packed in TBA
200 ml Slim and TBA 125 ml Slim cartons are
By Christina Karmadi available in three flavours: chocolate, strawberry and sweetened, while
UHT milk in TBA 1 litre Slim packs is available in chocolate and
plain.
A new step in the partnership between the two companies came
early this year when Indomilk realised that there is a need to
incorporate easy to open closures on their traditional gable top
packaging for pasteurised milk. For this purpose, Tetra Pak introduced
the newly-developed TR/22 filling machine in which gable top cartons
can be equipped with reclosable screw caps. The results of this
technology were well accepted by Indomilk and in February 2006,
Indomilk relaunched their pasteurised milk range in Tetra Rex cartons
featuring convenient screw caps. The relaunched Indomilk fresh milk

34 FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2006

 Packaging

series comes in three sizes: average yearly growth

1 litre, 500 ml and 250 ml,
and three versions: choco-
late, plain and low fat milk.
The products are currently
available in Jakarta and the
city’s outlying areas and
will be distributed in Bali
and East Java by late 2006.
A fresh future for
liquid milk in
Indonesia
In 2006, the liquid milk
market in Indonesia is esti-
mated to reach a volume of
350 million litres with an
equivalent value of two
trillion rupiah. According
to Mr Lambok Napitupulu,
Business Unit Manager at
Indomilk, the milk market
in Indonesia has seen rather
high growth in recent years,
increasing by an annual average
of about 15%. This growth is
mostly driven by liquid milk, a
category which has grown by
more than 20% a year in the past
of below 10%. Indomilk
now commands a share
of about 30% of the
market for liquid milk in
Indonesia.
Mr Napitupulu attri-
butes this surge in liquid
milk consumption to
factors such as changes
in lifestyle and buying
behaviour; growing con-
sumer acceptance of
liquid milk thanks to its
ready-to-drink practi-
cality; convenient
packaging formats; high
hygiene and safety
With a footprint
of just 3.3 x 1.4 m and standards; reasonable
height of 2.7 m, the Tetra prices and attractive
Rex TR/22 offers two carton size formats: one packages. On its part,
for volumes ranges of 200-1,000 ml and a Indomilk has engaged in
larger one for 1,893-2,000 ml packages. an aggressive liquid
five years. At Indomilk, sales of milk campaign, together with
liquid milk products are similarly direct marketing, advertising and
g r o w i n g a t o v e r 2 0 % a y e a r, special promotions, to convince
compared with categories such as consumers who were more used
sweetened condensed milk and to using sweetened condensed
powdered milk, which are seeing milk and powdered milk to switch

The TR/22: a compact entry point into the chilled market

TETRA Pak’s Tetra Rex TR/22 filling machine is
a low investment solution for market entry into
new chilled segments and is suitable for product
categories such as pasteurised milk, soya
beverages, probiotic drinks and seasonal products.
The system offers a hygiene standard, effi-
ciency and performance that is almost on par with
larger gable top filling units produced by Tetra
Pak, along with a highly compact footprint that
makes it easy to accommodate in small production
facilities. In addition, the TR/22 is an ideal
solution for larger dairies or beverage companies
who want additional filling capacity to introduce
new or seasonal items in gable top cartons.
The TR/22 comes in both Standard and
Extended Hygiene versions depending on the
user ’s product needs. The Extended Hygiene
version can retain a product shelf life of up to 21
days.
Two size formats are available for volume
flexibility. The Base (70 x 70 mm carton bottom)
format can fill volumes between 200 to 1,000 ml
volumes, and the Max (95 x 95 mm carton
bottom) format is for 1,893 to 2,000 ml volumes.
Despite its small size – 3.3 x 1.4 metre
footprint and 2.7 metres in height – the TR/22
comes loaded with hygiene features that helps
to maintain product integrity from the start to the
end of the filling process.
These machine features include a Tetra Pak
Operator Panel for automatic touch-screen inter-
face for easier operation; a streamlined machine
design for smoother and simplified cleaning;
quick volume changeover and package volume
flexibility; and a high operating efficiency with
a “no carton no fill” feature that prevents product
waste. Optional cap applicators are also available
for added closure convenience.

FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2006 35

 Packaging

A Habit for Humanity: “Drink Milk Campaign” a

nutritional investment in Indonesia’s future
By Mignonne Maramis Akiyama

“DRINK milk everyday! Healthy! Perfect!”

chanted some six hundred women at a commu-
nity health centre during a recent gathering in
Semarang, Central Java. Echoing in seven other
cities this year, the gatherings are part of the
“Drink Milk Campaign,” a public campaign
initiated by Tetra Pak Indonesia in 2004 to
educate mothers and children in various cities
across the country about the benefits of milk
and to encourage regular milk drinking habits.
Why milk? Milk is undoubtedly a nutrient-
dense food. It provides essential nutrients –
Posyandu health cadres toast the goodness of milk at
including calcium, protein, vitamins A, B12 and the opening of a health seminar.
D, niacin, phosphorus, potassium and riboflavin
– all very necessary for children during their critical A recent finding by the Indonesian Ministry of Health
growth phase. Quoting former British Prime Minister sounded the alarm: compared to those in more developed
Winston Churchill: “There is no finer investment for countries, Indonesian newborns are on average two
any community than putting milk into babies!” kilograms lighter and Indonesian children are five
centimetres shorter.
Building a better habit Tetra Pak’s campaign highlights the fact that milk
Unfortunately, milk intake is very low in drinking is a non-habit in Indonesia, and something must
Indonesia, the world’s 4th most populous country, be done to change it. A continuous low consumption level
where consumption levels rank as one of the lowest has wide-ranging impact on people of all ages, not just
in Asia. The nation’s annual per capita milk consump- babies as Churchill would have it, but also school children
tion today is about seven litres, below the 12 litres in as well as adults, especially pregnant women.
China, as well as the Philippines or
Malaysia where consumption levels Movement for more milk
are 13 and 25 litres respectively. drinking
Local observers say that low In the light of this concern, Tetra
milk consumption in Indonesia is a Pak Indonesia identified the need for
result of a lack of role-models both a systematic campaign aimed at edu-
at home and in society at large. cating mothers and children about the
Adding to the “habit” factor is the importance of drinking milk regularly.
common misperception among Tetra Pak has been operating in
parents that milk is only for babies. Indonesia for 30 years, making it a
Children and adults do not have to partner with the pioneers of UHT milk
continue drinking milk as they are in Indonesia. The Drink Milk
“old enough” to drink other Campaign takes advantage of Tetra
beverages. Pak’s technological achievements in
Moreover, parents from low aseptic packaging, which protects the
income groups lack access to infor- contents and permits distribution of
mation on basic health and UHT milk across long distances in
nutrition. As a result, they have low Leading Indonesian dairies donate Indonesia, without the need for
awareness of the role of a healthy UHT milk for free sampling at refrigeration.
diet in promoting optimal growth. Drink Milk Campaigns. During the first year of the

36 FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2006

 Packaging

to liquid milk.
Explaining the company’s growing
campaign in 2004, Tetra Pak began on a modest scale of 30
focus on pasteurised milk products, Mr
elementary schools in three cities combined with visits to
Napitupulu said: “Unlike in many
community health centres that attracted almost 1,000 mothers and
western countries such as the United
children. These health centres, called posyandu in Bahasa
States and Europe, where pasteurised
Indonesia, turned out to be a useful and effective entry point for
milk is dominant, in Indonesia, pas-
the campaign. As the focal point for health information and
teurised milk is the product of the future.”
services for many mothers in local communities, the posyandu
Although pasteurised milk con-
are excellent locations to reach mothers at the middle and lower
sumption in Indonesia is still largely
classes, exactly where milk drinking is not yet a habit due to
limited to class A&B consumers
financial limitations as well as lack of nutritional knowledge.
representing the middle to high end of the
market, Indomilk is confident in its
Partnering badminton for a smash hit growth as “pasteurised milk is considered
This year, the campaign will provide children and mothers in
fresh, natural, more nutritious and
nine cities with 240,000 packs of UHT milk during the period
consumers are becoming more aware of
that runs from April to December. The scale of the programme,
its benefits.”
which has grown each year, would not be achievable without the
However, this market segment faces
help of Tetra Pak’s local partners – namely, PT Ultrajaya Milk
a few challenges, notably distribution
Industry, PT Indomilk, PT Supra Sumber Cipta, PT Industri Susu
constraints over a large geographical area
Alam Murni and PKIS Sekar Tanjung – who support the Drink
with limited cold chain and chilled
Milk Campaign and provide
storage facilities. There is also much
UHT milk packs for sampling.
ground to be covered in making more
The campaign also actively
consumers aware of the benefits of
enlists the support and partici-
pasteurised milk.
pation of various government
G i v i n g h i s v i e w o n I n d o m i l k ’s
bodies, notably the local
decision to switch to Tetra Rex (TR/22)
health and education depart-
filling machines for the relaunched fresh
ments, provincial authorities,
milk products, Mr Napitupulu said the
as well as noted nutritionists.
company choose this technology because
The Drink Milk Campaign
the packaging is more modern, hygienic
also has a very strong associa-
and of better quality. The system, he said,
tion with badminton, through
“ o ff e r s m o r e a t t r a c t i v e d e s i g n s a n d
the persona of Indonesian bad-
colours as well as innovative openings
minton champion and Olym-
such as the screw cap. It is also
pic gold medallist (Atlanta
A young badminton player competitively priced and has an extended
1976) Ricky Soebagdja, who
enjoys a drink of milk. shelf life capability.”
is the campaign’s ambassador.
The whole process from installation
Badminton helps the
of the TR/22 filling machine to
campaign reach a wider target audience due to the sport’s immense
commissioning through to product launch
popularity in Indonesia. By hosting badminton tournaments and
took six months, and during that period,
coaching sessions during campaign stop-overs, children learn that
Indomilk was able to maintain its regular
healthy bodies can lead to better achievement, on and off the
production. Looking to the future, Mr
courts. By end 2006, over 5,000 children will have participated
Napitupulu said Indomilk hopes to
in the badminton tournaments associated with the Drink Milk
further develop the potential of the TR/
Campaign, culminating in a national age-group championship in
22 filling machine and its product
Jakarta in September. All the eight local and one national
applications through new packaging
badminton championships are officially sanctioned by PBSI, the
innovations from suppliers such as Tetra
Indonesian Badminton Association.
Pak.
Enquiry No: 030
Mignonne Maramis Akiyama is Communications Director at
PT Tetra Pak Indonesia.
Christina Karmadi is Key Account Manager
at PT Tetra Pak Indonesia.

FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2006 37