Sidel delivers aseptic PET packaging line to Indian manufacturer

Britannia Industries Limited has commissioned packaging expert Sidel for its first-ever aseptic PET packaging line for dairy beverages under the Winkin’ Cow portfolio.

Britannia entered the dairy drinks business in 2018, with value-added dairy drinks under the Winkin’ Cow portfolio

“Sidel offered Britannia end-to-end support, enabling them to unlock the full potential of their dairy beverage,” said Harbinder Kathuria, Vice President, Sales, South Asia. “From bottle and label design to product-packaging validation, the line has empowered Britannia to expand its dairy beverage portfolio and offer safe, high-quality products with enhanced packaging flexibility to Indian consumers since 2023.”

As technology and solutions partner, Sidel supported Britannia throughout the entire journey. From the initial line design and technical planning to the installation, commissioning and final ramp-up, this close partnership ensured a smooth, efficient and fully aligned execution throughout the entire process. 

“The support from Sidel wasn’t limited to the line equipment; it went much further,” said Abhishek Sinha, Chief Sales Transformation Officer, Britannia (formerly CBO – Dairy & CEO, BBFPL). “Sidel offered a comprehensive range of services, including new packaging concept design, packaging validation, label recommendations, custom filling tests and shelf-life studies. They provided everything we needed to enter the aseptic PET segment and bring our new product to market with maximum confidence.”

The Aseptic Combi Predis is installed at Britannia's greenfield dairy factory in Ranjangaon, Maharashtra, India.

Simplest and fastest aseptic solution

Sidel installed a complete line with integrated Aseptic Combi Predis at the Britannia plant. The solution, running at 24,000 bph, integrates preform sterilization, blow molding, filling and capping into a unique process that ensures product integrity and a longer shelf life for sensitive products.

The Aseptic Combi Predis is the market's simplest and fastest aseptic solution with Predis™ dry preform decontamination, according to Sidel. The Predis™ technology employs the injection of Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) into the preform just before it enters the oven. This results in activation of the H₂O₂ by the existing preform heating stage, ensuring a high level of decontamination while minimizing the sterile zone and controlling all risk of potential contamination. Critical parameters are continuously monitored to ensure full production sterility, beverage integrity and food safety, regardless of liquid type or beverage characteristics.

The Aseptic Combi Predis allows the operator to manage the sterilization process without the need for extensive training or lengthy downtimes. It is offers the ability to switch between three different formats for dairy drinks – from 180ml to 1L – while maintaining the highest levels of efficiency.

By employing dry preform decontamination, no water and almost no chemicals are used in the process. This significantly reduces water and chemical consumption, allowing Britannia to reach total food safety using fewer resources and with a lower impact on the environment.

Aseptic Combi Predis also facilitates the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) without compromising food safety or production simplicity, while delivering high uptime and packaging versatility across multiple SKUs.