The demand for dairy and meat products as well as convenience products is rising in Asia, in step with the region’s growth in population and prosperity. To address this growth even more effectively, ingredients specialist Hydrosol is continuing to invest in its regional locations, and maintains close collaborations with its local sales organizations. The expansion of its technical infrastructure is an important part of this, as a current example in Singapore shows. In addition to the existing plant in China, a UHT pilot plant is currently being installed in Singapore to better serve local manufacturers.
This state-of-the-art plant facilitates the development and improvement of formulations for dairy products. For example, with UHT milk and flavoured milk drinks the stability, texture, and flavour need to be retained over an extended shelf life. With vegetable fat creams the focus is on optimising whippability, viscosity, and heat stability. For yogurt and fermented milk products the goals are better mouthfeel, creamy consistency, and thermostable products.
In addition to its technical facilities, the company also wants to be a local sparring partner for its customers across the region. Through close collaboration, Hydrosol helps manufacturers meet challenges in formulation and processing, and ensures smooth transitions from pilot testing to large-scale production.
Said Dr. Dorotea Pein, Director Technology and Innovation: “Customer-specific consulting has long been a central building block in Hydrosol’s DNA. With our tailor-made solutions, we want to help manufacturers react quickly to regional market trends and consumer demands.”
Another objective is to conquer new markets. In the Chinese market, for example, milk products are gaining traction, particularly in the B2B segment. Due to oversupply in retail, leading Chinese dairies are increasingly focusing on food service with special product concepts.
According to market research, in 2025 the coffee sector is projected to generate added demand for milk products on the order of 26.5 billion renminbi, or just under 3.65 billion USD. Demand for thick milk and milk bases for new tea drinks is forecast to rise by over 20 percent annually. Cheese is also seeing rising demand in Chinese food service. High-quality cream, butter, and cheese product categories are still dominated by international brands, but local vendors are gaining ground thanks to shorter supply chains, fresher products, and competitive pricing.
Health-oriented innovations for milk drinks are another growth market. For example, sugar-free options are in demand. According to Nielsen IQ, last year milk drinks were the only category in the Chinese milk market to show growth (+11.3 percent). With its stabilising systems in the Stabiprime series, Hydrosol offers customers the ability to produce a wide range of milk drinks that can be enriched with micronutrients or proteins to offer consumers the added health value they are looking for. And not just in China: the product concepts for foodservice and retail also offer attractive potential for other countries in the Asia-Pacific area. The tailor-made solutions are likewise aligned with users’ requirements.
Concluded Dr. Pein: “Working together with manufacturers, we develop product concepts that are a precise fit, as well as process optimisation methods where necessary, for milk products and any other applications.” For more visit hydrosol.de/en
