SALEM: For nearly four decades, the Salem unit of Aavin has quietly carved a niche for itself as Aavin's only dairy division producing milkshakes and flavoured milk. This has turned value-added innovation into a steady revenue engine as it leads the state in milk procurement.
The Salem union currently procures about 6.5 lakh litres of milk every day, one of the highest in Tamil Nadu. Of this, around 3.5 lakh litres are dispatched as raw milk to other cities, while 2.5 lakh litres cater to the Salem market. The remaining 50,000 litres are converted into value-added products such as milk powder, butter, ghee, curd, buttermilk, paneer, khowa and, most notably, flavoured milk and milkshakes.
What sets the Salem unit of Aavin apart is its exclusive production of milkshakes and flavoured milk for the entire state. Introduced in 1987 with just four variants- cardamom, pista, strawberry and mango - the product line has since expanded to 10 flavours. Today, chocolate, badam, strawberry and vanilla rank among the highest-selling variants and are produced in larger volumes to meet demand.
The products are manufactured at the Aseptic Packaging Station (APS) plant in Salem, where Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) processing is used to ensure longer shelf life. Under this method, milk is heated to 137 degrees celsius to eliminate bacteria before being rapidly cooled. An official overseeing the plant explained that the treatment significantly reduces aflatoxin levels and enhances safety.
The processed milk is then blended with sugar and flavouring agents in a separate unit before moving to the filling section, where tetra packs are automatically formed, filled and sealed. The packs proceed through coding - where the date of manufacture, expiry date and price are printed - and then secondary packing before being manually boxed for dispatch.
This specialised processing and aseptic packaging ensures the flavoured milk and milkshakes have a shelf life of 180 days at room temperature without preservatives. The Salem plant has the capacity to produce around 60,000 tetra packs per day, though production is calibrated according to market demand.
Currently, around 7 lakh packs are produced every month, each priced at ₹30. This translates to an estimated monthly turnover of about ₹2.1 crore and an annual revenue of nearly ₹25.2 crore from flavoured milk and milkshakes alone.
Modernisation efforts undertaken in 2016 further streamlined production, improving efficiency and ensuring compliance with evolving food safety standards. Despite diversification into several dairy products, officials say the flavoured milk segment remains a flagship offering.
P Kumareswaran, General Manager of Aavin, Salem, said the unit has been exclusively producing flavoured milk and milkshakes for the state for nearly four decades. "With summer approaching, we expect sales to increase further and contribute to higher turnover," he said.