Aavin introduces 'Delite' milk with longer shelf life

CHENNAI: State Dairy Minister SM Nasar on Wednesday launched Aavin 'Delite' cow milk with a shelf life of 90 days without the need for refrigeration.

The standard 'Delite' milk comes with 3.5 per cent fat and 8.5 per cent SNF (Solids Not Fat). The milk can be stored at room temperature for 90 days. At present the 500 ml sachet of 'Delite' milk has been rolled out and the price of a unit is Rs 30. The 'Delite' milk variety is manufactured at the Aavin plant in Sholinganallur, which has the capacity to pack one lakh litres of milk.

Officials at Aavin said that preservatives were not added instead advanced technology has been used to increase the shelf life. "The Delite milk packets are packaged in Ultra High Temperature (UHT) packing machines where they are packaged in a sterile environment without any microbes which will pave the way for a higher shelf life. Normally milk is processed through pasteurisation method but UHT method is much more advanced and safer method,” said an official at Aavin, who also added that the covers used in Delite milk packets will be thicker when compared to the normal milk packets which will also help us store the milk in room temperature.

The official also said that the UHT method is already used in tetra packing and it is carried out in the Aavin plant in Salem but this is the first time that UHT treated milk comes out in normal packages.