Ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk is known as processed milk at a very high temperature, pasteurized in very little time, and packaged in pre-sterilized containers without inclusion of any preservatives or additives. UHT milk has a long shelf-life period of 6-9 months and is considered the USP of this product. It can be stored at room temperature until the package is opened. The process involved in making UHT milk conserves essential nutrients and vitamins required for human consumption.
Worldwide rise in consumption of dairy products along with the increasing standard of living among the working and the high class population is driving the demand for UHT milk food products, thereby enhancing the growth of the global ultra-high temperature milk market. The emergence of e-commerce and online store is fueling the demand of the UHT milk market owing to a rising trend of online buying especially among the millennial population. The demand for ultra-high temperature can be seen in millennials and for commercial use. Further, the lack of maintenance and management of refrigerators in emerging markets contributed to the demand of the UHT market. However, the high cost of UHT milk in comparison to regular milk may hinder the demand of the market. Furthermore, the availability of numerous distribution channels, social media advertisements, and growing e-commerce offers a lucrative opportunity for the ultra-high temperature milk market in the forecast period.
The global ultra-high temperature milk market is separated based on product type, fat content, distribution channel, and region. Based on the product type, the global market is split into flavored and unflavored. The fat content segment consists of whole, semi-skimmed, and skimmed. Hypermarkets/supermarkets, specialist retailers, convenience stores, and others are the distribution channel segments for frozen food manufacturing.
Geographically, the European region is expected to dominate the global ultra-high temperature milk market and is projected to remain most lucrative market over the forecast period. Factors such as rapid growth in per capita consumption of dairy foods and rising demand for a premium product like ultra-high temperature milk due to increasing disposable income of the consumer drives the market growth. On the other hand, Asia Pacific region is expected to witness significant demand for the ultra-high temperature milk market during the forecast period. This is attributed to the rising preferences of UHT milk in emerging countries like China and Japan.
The global ultra-high temperature milk market is highly concentrated due to the presence of national and international players. Parmalat S.p. A, Bemis Company, Inc., Dairy Partners Americas Brasil Ltd, S.A.B. de C.V., DMK Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH, Grupo Lala, MeadWestvaco Corp., Fonterra, Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller GmbH & Co. KG, Bormioli Rocco Spa, and Sonoco Products Company are some leading players operating in ultra-high temperature milk market. Businesses are investing in strategic collaborations to strengthen the market position. Further, the leading players are focusing on new product development and facilitate other effective strategies to gain a competitive edge in the market.
In December 2016, Fonterra has launched a new brand-named Anchor in China. This is a premium duo of UHT milk products China.