(Food-Beverage-News.Com, February 08, 2020 ) Increase in the consumption of UHT (ultra-high temperature) treated products globally, along with rise in awareness about the benefits of the products, in regions having low refrigeration spaces has highly aided the growth of the global UHT processing market. Additionally, UHT treatment is being widely expanded to cover an extensive range of liquid and semi-liquid products, which has enabled its market to grow over the past few years. The UHT processing market is projected to reach USD 4.71 billion by 2022, from USD 2.57 billion in 2017, at a CAGR of 12.87% during the forecast period.
On the basis of mode of equipment operation, the indirect UHT processing segment found favor among the populace, resulting in a market share of about 85.02% in 2016. This can be majorly attributed to the limited usage of direct UHT processing equipment, as it remains a costlier option in comparison to indirect UHT processing equipment. However, with a small number of direct UHT processing equipment being currently used in the market, this segment is expected to grow at a relatively higher CAGR during the forecast period.
Based on application, the milk segment dominated the UHT processing market. This is majorly attributed to an increasing demand for UHT treated milk globally, which aided the increased adoption of UHT plants. Most developing countries, such as India and China, and countries having warmer temperatures such as South Africa, have been the key adopters of UHT treated products, owing to a limited availability of refrigerated spaces. Such UHT treated products have also picked up pace in rural and remote areas, where the storage of food for long durations becomes imperative. Such factors made the segment the fastest-growing one, among all applications for the UHT processing market.
On the basis of the end-product form, the UHT processing market was dominated by the liquid segment. However, the market for the semi-liquid UHT processing segment is expected to grow at a comparatively higher CAGR during the forecast period, owing to a rising foray of UHT treatment for products with discrete particles such as fruit juices, soups, and condensed milk.
Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing region in the UHT processing market, during the forecast period, owing to a large adoption of UHT treated products in the region, for their longer sustainability in comparison to untreated products. Additionally, the market for UHT processing is also expected to witness growth in countries of Australia & New Zealand, due to the increase in the number of export activities.
Companies in the UHT processing market including Tetra Laval International (Switzerland), SPX Flow (US), GEA Group (Germany), Alfa Laval (Sweden), Elecster (Finland), Shanghai Triowin Intelligent Machinery (China), MicoThermics (US), Reda (Italy), Shanghai Jimei Food Machinery (China), TESSA I.E.C. Group (China), Stephan Machinery (Germany), and Goma Engineering (India) are the key equipment providers in the UHT processing market.
Tetra Laval International is one of the active players in the UHT processing market; it is involved in the packaging, processing, and distribution of food & beverages. In addition, it works on agricultural production and herd management. It is further subdivided into three independent segments, namely, Tetra Pak, DeLaval, and Sidel. Tetra Laval manufactures its ultra-high temperature technology equipment for food and dairy products through its group industry Tetra Pak. Tetra Pak is a leading provider of production equipment for processing equipment for the food & beverages industry. For instance, the company launched an industry-first modular portfolio of heating systems, in December 2017, which would offer tailor-made processing solutions for food & beverage manufacturers. It has a broad range of products and solutions such as dairy products, beverages, prepared food, ice-cream, cheese & whey, and cosmetics.
GEA Group is primarily engaged in the design and development of industrial equipment for the food processing industry and a wide range of other process industries. The company has operations in more than 50 countries worldwide, and is engaged in applying technologies such as liquid processing, powder processing & handling, dairy systems, aseptic packaging, concentration & pre-treatment, pharma processing for solid dosage and liquid sterile, and brewery systems for various industries. The company also acquired all shares of Imarforni International in February 2016, a leading supplier of industrial processing equipment in order to strengthen its product portfolio. It currently offers blenders & mixers through its process engineering segment, which is committed to providing solutions for dairy, brewing, food, pharma, and chemical industries through one of its subsidiary—GEA Process Engineering. The company provides UHT processing equipment under its liquid processing systems business.
Alfa Laval is a leading supplier of products and solutions for heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling through major products such as heat exchangers, separators, pumps, and valves. It has three sales divisions which include equipment, process technology, and marine & diesel. It offers ultra-high temperature processing equipment under its Viscoline segment. Alfa Laval’s global sales and aftermarket organization help customers in more than 100 countries to optimize their processes. The company has production operations in 42 major production units in Europe (22), Asia (10), the US (eight), and South America (two). About 61% of its revenue is generated from European and North American countries. The company also launched new heat exchangers in May 2016, in order to increase market profitability.
