Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India – September 2024 – RELCO®, A Kovalus Company, is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Milky Mist Dairy Food Private Limited, a prominent name in India’s private dairy sector. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the Indian dairy industry with the establishment of the country’s largest Cheddar cheese plant.
Milky Mist Dairy, known for its extensive range of over 20 dairy products and recent expansions into chocolate and ice cream manufacturing, currently processes approximately 1,000,000 liters of milk daily, sourced from over 60,000 farmers. With the upcoming expansion, the company plans to double its milk processing capacity, further strengthening its position in the Indian dairy market and expanding its export capabilities. The new cheese line, provided by RELCO, will enable Milky Mist to meet this growing consumer demand while maintaining the high quality for which the brand is renowned and position Milky Mist as a dominant force in the cheese market.
The state-of-the-art facility will feature several of RELCO’s proprietary technologies, including the advanced HORIZON® II vats and IDS CheddarMaster™ cheese belt, designed to deliver precise control and consistency. The line will also incorporate the Optiset 4.1 coagulation detection system, allowing for real-time monitoring and adjustments to ensure uniform texture and optimal yield year-round. Additionally, RELCO will supply a comprehensive packaging line, including TRU-BLOCK® blockformers, crucial for shaping and packaging cheddar into 20KG blocks, along with a CIP (Clean-in-Place) kitchen to maintain the highest standards of hygiene. Lastly, a UF plant to standardize milk protein going into cheese plant, thereby ensuring consistent yield across the year.
The project’s success is the result of collaborative efforts between Kovalus Separation Solutions’ global entities, including RELCO Pacific Ltd and Kovalus Separation Solutions Enterprise India Pvt Ltd. Their combined expertise spans the entire cheese production process, from conceptualization and optimization to packaging and handling, ensuring efficiency at every stage. This achievement also complements RELCO’s existing reputation for lactose and protein (membrane) systems in the Indian market.
“Over the decades, and particularly in the wake of the pandemic, we have dedicated ourselves to expanding and enhancing our unit systems, establishing ourselves as a trusted supplier and partner in integrated cheese projects. We are proud to collaborate with Milky Mist on this groundbreaking initiative,” said Mark Litchfield, President of RELCO. “This venture underscores our commitment to supporting the growing demand for cheese products in India, and we are excited to leverage our combined expertise to deliver a comprehensive solution, further strengthening our international presence.
“Our success has always been rooted in recognizing challenges and taking bold steps to address them. Partnering with RELCO on our new cheddar cheese line is a continuation of that approach. Their expertise in dairy processing aligns perfectly with our commitment to adding value and finding creative solutions to the hurdles we encounter as we grow,” said Mr. Sathish Kumar, Owner & Managing Director of Milky Mist Dairy Food Private Limited.
Dr. K Rathnam, CEO of Milky Mist Dairy, also added, “We selected and forged an alliance with RELCO after nearly a year of discussions and exploring different options for our 5-ton-per-hour Cheddar plant, which is by far the largest Cheddar cheese manufacturing plant in India. During our tours of RELCO facilities in Australia and New Zealand, we witnessed the team’s capabilities not only in cheese production but also in other value-added products like WPC, MPC, Lactose, and more.”
With project work now underway, Milky Mist is on track to begin commercial production ahead of Christmas 2025, marking another milestone in their journey of innovation and growth.
About Kovalus Separation Solutions & RELCO®, A Kovalus Company
Kovalus Separation Solutions is transforming the landscape of separations by developing and leveraging synergistic technologies such as membrane filtration, ion exchange, evaporation, drying, and more. With over half a century of experience, Kovalus offers comprehensive solutions for the most challenging in-process separation and water and wastewater treatment applications across the food and beverage, dairy, life sciences, and general industrial markets. Kovalus, formerly Koch Separation Solutions, was acquired by Sun Capital Partners, Inc. in 2023 and is a standalone entity with several manufacturing sites and regional sales offices located globally. To learn more about Kovalus, please visit please visit www.kovalus.com.
RELCO®, A Kovalus Company, is a specialized engineering and systems-building company dedicated to providing tailored solutions that streamline processes and elevate efficiency for dairy and food ingredient producers. With a focus on transforming challenges into opportunities, RELCO offers a comprehensive range of technologies, including liquid processing, cheesemaking equipment, dairy filtration, drying systems, evaporators, and powder handling and packaging solutions. RELCO is headquartered in Willmar, Minnesota, USA, with regional offices located in Brazil, New Zealand, and The Netherlands. To learn more about RELCO, please visit www.relco.net.
