IDC Sets Up “IDC SAMEA” (Southwest Asia, Middle East, Africa)

At the request of several customers who are in advanced stages of discussion with the company and want it to have a strong local presence, International Dispensing Corporation (IDC; IDND) has established IDC SAMEA (Southwest Asia, Middle East, Africa), a regional office based in Dubai. The purpose of IDC SAMEA is to enable, coordinate, and execute turn-key solutions for a large-format aseptic package with The Answer® tap, first to penetrate and transform the dairy industry of Pakistan, and subsequently that of neighboring countries that have similar dairy issues.

IDC SAMEA will manage the entire supply chain – taps, bags, filling equipment, boxes and/or dispensers. Last month IDC announced the formation of the Alliance for Aseptic Foodservice™ (AAF™); IDC SAMEA will work with AAF charter members to deliver its complete solution to dairy customers, with the initial focus on Pakistan. IDC and AAF™ members plan to replicate the success and all the learning from this model into other key geographies.

Pakistan is the world’s fourth largest dairy consuming country, yet less than 10% of the country’s milk is processed and packaged. The rest is in the form of “loose” milk: raw unprocessed milk served from open vats.

IDC SAMEA and its customers will offer fresh milk directly from dairy farms, aseptically processed and packaged in a closed bag-in-box (BIB) system anchored by The Answer®, the world’s only aseptic dispensing tap. An extensive market survey in Karachi conducted by ZAP Logistics, an IDC customer, indicated overwhelming acceptance of the IDC package, appreciation of its push-button ease for pouring, and the taste and quality of the milk.

Commencing its efforts in Pakistan, the group also intends to address similar dairy markets in Bangladesh, India, Turkey, and Africa. IDC SAMEA has already begun marketing the solution in Africa, though Pakistan represents the most imminent opportunity. The closed bulk aseptic package offered by IDC SAMEA has the potential to improve milk quality, safety, waste, and nutrition for well over 2 billion people in those countries and to create a lasting legacy.

Pär Söderlund, former Managing Director for Tetra Pak Pakistan, spearheads the efforts of IDC SAMEA. Mr. Söderlund said: “The Answer® innovation represents a tremendous opportunity in this vast region. We are very excited to offer this solution to the region and to deliver safe, nutritious milk in a very convenient large size package that truly makes a difference.”