Tetra Pak, the Swedish food processing and packaging technology leader, has enabled Niche Cocoa Industry to launch Daily Milk flavoured drinks through a collaborative partnership that exemplifies how global technology providers are transforming Ghana’s manufacturing capabilities in the expanding African beverage sector.
The product unveiled Thursday positions 180ml Daily Milk drinks in banana, vanilla, and strawberry flavours within Ghana’s soft drinks market, which reached 1.05 billion litres in Q3 2024 and projects 10.86 percent growth through 2029. Dairy and flavoured milk products represent strategic growth segments where international technical partnerships prove decisive.
Speaking at the launch ceremony attended by government officials and nutrition professionals, Mr. Haithem Debbiche, Managing Director of Tetra Pak West Africa based in Nigeria, described the initiative as demonstrating the company’s mission of making food safe and available everywhere. The partnership brought together Tetra Pak’s global processing expertise with local market intelligence.
“This isn’t just about introducing a new product to the market, it’s redefining how we think about flavour, nutrition and packaging in a rapidly evolving consumer landscape,” Mr. Debbiche said.
Tetra Pak generated US$12.7 billion in net sales globally during 2023, operating through 89 sales offices and 51 production plants across more than 160 countries. The company provides complete solutions spanning processing equipment including evaporators, heat exchangers, aseptic systems, separators, homogenizers, plus distribution tools like conveyors and cap applicators.
The partnership began through innovation workshops where Tetra Pak technical teams collaborated with Niche Cocoa marketing staff throughout ideation, concept development, package design and production planning. This co creation model represents Tetra Pak’s evolved approach in emerging markets, positioning the company as innovation partner rather than mere packaging supplier.
Tetra Pak’s aseptic processing and specialized packaging materials address critical infrastructure gaps in markets where cold chain systems remain inconsistent. The technology enables manufacturers to deliver safe, nutritious products with extended shelf life without requiring continuous refrigeration, a transformative capability for tropical climates.
In Q3 2024, soft drinks captured the highest beverages market share in Ghana, with packaged water, carbonates, bulk water, still drinks and energy drinks comprising primary sub categories. Within dairy segments, white milk accounted for highest volume, followed by flavoured milk and evaporated milk varieties.
The Daily Milk launch targets children and families seeking convenient nutrition in formats suitable for school lunch boxes and on the go consumption. The 180ml package size and three flavour varieties reflect technical decisions where Tetra Pak expertise shaped product development, from formulation through shelf stability requirements and consumer packaging preferences.
Ghana’s food and beverage manufacturing confronts persistent challenges including capital access, infrastructure constraints, energy costs and distribution networks favouring established players. International technology partners like Tetra Pak bridge critical gaps around product quality and shelf stability where local manufacturers traditionally faced disadvantages against imported alternatives.
The partnership with Niche Cocoa demonstrates Tetra Pak’s comprehensive involvement beyond transactional equipment supply. By investing technical time and collaborative expertise, the company builds loyalty while demonstrating value that creates foundations for sustained business relationships surviving competitive pressures and economic volatility.
Mr. Edmund Poku, Managing Director of Niche Cocoa, has built reputation for transforming Ghana from raw cocoa exporter into value added processor since founding the company in 2011. The Tetra Pak partnership provides technical capabilities needed to execute expansion visions across diversified product lines beyond core cocoa processing.
Ghana produces roughly 800,000 metric tons of cocoa annually, ranking as world’s second largest producer. Yet Ghana reportedly processes only five percent domestically, exporting vast majority as raw beans or semi finished products. This dynamic represents billions in potential value creation that partnerships with technology providers like Tetra Pak could help capture through domestic manufacturing.
Tetra Pak’s involvement extends far beyond packaging material supply. The company’s integrated solutions spanning equipment, engineering, installation, design, project management and ongoing services reduce complexity for local manufacturers who might otherwise struggle mastering technical requirements independently.
Ghana’s beverages market projects reaching US$42.87 million by 2029, with 7.75 percent annual growth from 2025 through 2029. User penetration will reach 6.2 percent by 2029, up from 4.8 percent in 2025, with average revenue per user hitting US$19.12.
The technical challenges Tetra Pak addresses prove substantial. Aseptic processing requires precise control of temperature, pressure and timing to eliminate microorganisms while preserving nutritional content and flavour profiles. Packaging materials must provide barriers against oxygen, light and moisture while remaining economical and environmentally acceptable.
Whether Daily Milk achieves commercial success depends partly on factors outside Tetra Pak’s control, including marketing execution, distribution effectiveness and pricing strategies. But by ensuring product quality, shelf stability and attractive packaging through its processing and filling systems, Tetra Pak addresses foundational requirements giving products competitive advantages.
The Daily Milk launch occurs as government policies increasingly emphasize value addition and local processing of agricultural commodities. Cocoa, cashews, fruits and dairy products all represent sectors where Ghana could capture more domestic value rather than exporting raw materials to be processed elsewhere and reimported as finished goods.
For multinational technology providers operating in Africa, the partnership model Tetra Pak employs offers advantages over purely transactional relationships. By investing collaborative time and expertise helping local manufacturers succeed, the company demonstrates value beyond commodity supply while creating loyalty foundations and sustained revenue streams.
Tetra Pak West Africa operations serve Ghana and neighbouring countries, providing processing solutions across six categories: dairy, cheese, ice cream, beverage, prepared food and powder. The company brings decades of expertise in food science, processing technology and consumer packaging to help local manufacturers develop products succeeding in competitive retail environments.
Each successful partnership strengthens Tetra Pak’s position in Ghana’s expanding food and beverage sector while demonstrating capabilities attracting potential customers. The company’s investment in collaborative innovation rather than transactional relationships reflects strategic thinking about building sustainable presence where consumer demand and manufacturing capabilities both expand simultaneously.
Niche Cocoa won Presidential National Award for Exporter of the Year three consecutive years between 2013 and 2015, demonstrating consistent execution and quality standards meeting international requirements. Its installed processing capacity of 60,000 metric tons annually makes it Ghana’s largest fully integrated cocoa processor, with operations spanning from bean sourcing through finished product manufacturing.
As Ghana continues developing its manufacturing base and consumers demand higher quality packaged foods, technology providers like Tetra Pak will likely play increasingly vital roles. The Daily Milk launch represents one example of how international expertise combines with local market knowledge to create products that might not exist without such technical partnerships and processing capabilities.
The collaboration between Tetra Pak and Niche Cocoa could become template others follow as Ghana’s food and beverage sector evolves. Local manufacturers need technical expertise, processing technology and quality assurance systems that global partners provide, while international companies seek growth markets and local production platforms reducing logistics costs and tariff barriers.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
