190,000-square-foot facility will produce extended shelf-life (ESL) and shelf-stable beverages in Tetra Pak packages
Denton, Texas – Tetra Pak, a pioneer and world-leading food processing and packaging solutions company, is pleased to share that Suntado LLC, a contract manufacturer in dairy and other beverages, has opened a state-of-the-art facility in Burley, Idaho.
With commercial readiness expected just in time for Dairy Month (June), the facility can process up to 1 million pounds of local milk per day into shelf-stable and ESL milk and other liquid dairy products, many of which will be packaged in Tetra Pak® cartons.
“Shelf-stable products are one of the most exciting ways Tetra Pak is helping to move the beverage industry forward,” said Seth Teply, president and CEO of Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada. “With a longer shelf life and no need to refrigerate until opened, shelf-stable dairy products support the transformation of food systems by increasing access to safe food and reducing food waste. We’re excited that Suntado chose to work with us to create the innovative dairy and beverage facility of the future.”
Tetra Pak’s shelf-stable packaging allows food and beverages to stay safe for long periods of time without additives, preservatives or refrigeration before opening, offering cost savings and production efficiencies while minimizing food waste due to spoilage and reducing the environmental impact of the transportation and storage of finished goods. Additionally, Tetra Pak’s unfinished packaging material ships in a convenient roll, reducing the cost and impact of freight and storage space when compared with most other packaging formats.
With capacity and capability to produce a wide variety of dairy-based and other beverages, and a vertically integrated milk supply, Suntado offers solutions that cater to a diverse range of needs. Located in the third-largest dairy-producing state of Idaho, the facility is owned by Dirk Reitsma and Jesus Hurtado, who respectively own 6,000 organic and 30,000 conventional dairy cows within 20 miles of the processing facility, thus supplying fresh local milk to the plant.
“This vertically integrated facility and our product offerings are completely different than anything out there right now,” said Tory Nichols, office of the CEO, Suntado. “I’m energized by the fact that we’ve built this plant from the ground up, creating a secure, locally sourced milk supply. This facility will offer countless brands the flexibility and scalability they seek, and Tetra Pak’s input and shelf-stable expertise has proven invaluable to our efforts along the way.”
About the facility:
- The facility is a 190,000-square-foot production plant on 23 acres of land.
- This is phase one of a three-phase project, with the ability to triple the capacity in the future.
- Operations will continue to ramp up throughout 2024, with an estimated 800,000 to 1 million pounds of milk processed every day in the next 12 months.
- Owned by experienced and large-scale organic and conventional dairy farmers, Suntado has a unique advantage in providing a reliable and high-quality local milk supply. This allows Suntado to guarantee the freshest and finest ingredients for dairy-based beverages.
- This vertically integrated facility processes and packages products in one location.
- Suntado is not producing its own brand. This facility will instead enable retailers and national brands to create private-label beverage products.
- The initial focus is on shelf-stable and ESL milk, cream and other dairy-based beverages, with the ability to expand beyond dairy into additional beverages.
ABOUT TETRA PAK
Tetra Pak is a world-leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Working with our customers and suppliers, we provide access to safe, nutritious food for hundreds of millions of people in more than 160 countries every day.
With over 24,000 employees worldwide, we commit to making food safe and available, everywhere, and we promise to protect what’s good: food, people and the planet.
More information about Tetra Pak is available at www.tetrapakusa.com.
ABOUT SUNTADO
At Suntado, we provide state-of-the-art extended shelf life (ESL) and UHT (aseptic) dairy- and plant-based beverage co-packing solutions. Our cutting-edge facility is equipped with the latest technology and expertise to meet all your co-packing needs using Tetra Pak® packaging to ensure the highest standards of quality and freshness.
