Bangalore: Demand grows for milk in TetraPaks, dudhwalas pushed out of business Walk into a supermarket or a hypermarket and chances are you would notice cartons of plain milk in tetra packs vying for attention amidst other dairy condiments. Once associated with only doodhwaalas on cycles and milk booths, milk in TetraPak is gradually seeping into various retail formats, including kirana stores, according to a Bangalore Mirror report. So, why is there such an unprecedented demand for milk in TetraPak? Milk in such packs require no boiling and carries a longer shelf-life, often up to 180 days. The demand is buoyant, getting reflected in the category growth of 30% fuelled by urban trends towards hygiene and convenience. Long shelf-life, direct consumption and growing income levels are factors spinning the demand. “I leave home for office at 8:20am everyday. My son’s school bus arrives at 7:45am. After packing his school bag and lunchbox, I am left with little time. Amidst this, where is the time to boil milk! When I am getting the same taste and food value of milk in a TetraPak, why go to a milkbooth!” says Swastika Ray, a 33-year-old school teacher. 48-year-old Janardhan K, who runs a general provision store in South Bangalore, has started keeping plain milk in TetraPak, referred to as UTH (or ultra high-temperature treated) milk since last year “Previously I kept only fresh milk packs. However, with new apartments coming up in the area, I saw people buying 10-15 packs of UTH milk from nearby malls. I realised there is a demand,” he says. Bipin Singh, who recently switched to UTH milk, cannot stop gushing about it. “Three weeks back, I had to throw away three packs of milk since I forgot to boil them on time. Its a hassle. TetraPak are good as I do not see much difference in taste,” he said. Losing out in the process are the humble milkman. Doodhwaalas wheeling past joggers in wee hours, delivering fresh milk in bags kept in front of house doors is a rare sight these days. Ramesh Babu, a 51-year-old milk man, who has been home delivering milk for past 21 years in areas like Jayanagar and JP Nagar, is unhappy to see this change in consumer behaviour. “Earlier I delivered milk to about 55 household. It has reduced to 23 now. How do people like us sustain themselves. I am dependent on my son for money now,” he says. The older generation, though, still go for traditional milk. “How can one not have time to boil milk? It hardly takes 15 minutes. It is unhealthy to consume milk without boiling it properly,” says 58-year-old Ketaki B, a home-maker in JP Nagar 7th Phase. While the older generation still vows by the conventional method of boiling milk before consumption, TetraPak milk is here to stay, owing to fast changing lifestyles.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 09:11:40 +0000
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