Providing Middle Eastern dairy producers with reliable, accurate, and durable filling machines

FoodTechBiz met with Nicolas Belin, who heads Serac's regional office in Dubai, just before the Gulfood Manufacturing 2025 trade show. He explains how the company supports dairy producers in the Middle East with its cutting-edge filling solutions, tailored to the challenges of a rapidly expanding market.

FoodTechBiz: The Middle East dairy market is undergoing a major transformation. What are the main expectations of manufacturers in the region?

Nicolas Belin: The dynamism is impressive. Consumption of dairy products is increasing, but it is also diversifying: consumers want fresh milk, drinkable yogurts, protein drinks, and enriched milks, while ensuring that they are consuming healthy products, i.e., products with less processing, preservatives, sugar, etc.  Manufacturers are therefore looking for filling machines that can adapt to this variety of products while offering the impeccable level of hygiene required to ensure product quality and preserve the organoleptic properties of the products. In addition, growing demand for ESL and aseptic products requires increasingly advanced and hygienic filling technologies.

Finally, there is strong demand for reliable and cost-effective solutions that optimize the use of water and energy resources in a context where sustainability has become a strategic priority. 

FoodTechBiz: How does Serac meet these needs?

Nicolas Belin: Firstly, in terms of solutions, Serac covers a very wide range of needs in the dairy industry. Whether in terms of speed, up to 60,000 containers per hour, type of packaging, bottles, cups, buckets, materials such as PET, HDPE, glass, PP, etc., or hygiene, from fresh products to aseptically filled products. On the technological side, one of our specialties is weight filling. This patented technology ensures unmatched precision, significantly reducing product loss and improving profitability. We also offer machines designed for maximum food safety, with advanced sterilization and cleaning-in-place solutions. Another feature that is highly appreciated by our customers is modularity: our lines are scalable and grow with production needs, avoiding heavy investment at each stage of development. Finally, at Serac, our machines are extremely robust and durable. As proof, our first two machines installed in the region turned 30 this year and are still in production at major food manufacturers!

FoodTechBiz: Sustainability is becoming a major issue in the region. How does Serac incorporate it into its solutions?

Nicolas Belin: It is one of our priorities. To date, we know that 65% of the carbon footprint of our equipment supply business results from the use of our machines by our customers. We are therefore working to reduce the environmental footprint of our equipment by optimizing energy and water consumption, among other things. We are also innovating in the field of packaging decontamination.

Our BluStream™ technology, for example, is a major breakthrough. It uses electron bombardment to decontaminate packaging without the use of chemicals, water or high temperatures. The result is a more environmentally friendly process that consumes much less energy while ensuring impeccable health and safety standards. 

FoodTechBiz: What is the advantage for your customers of having a team based in the Emirates?

Nicolas Belin: Proximity is essential. Our location in UAE tremendously increases our capability to support our clients while being able to respond quickly to their needs, potentially by deploying our Team on the field in record time if needed. In such a dynamic market, this local responsiveness is a real asset.

With its solutions focused on precision, hygiene, and sustainability, and with innovations such as BluStream™, Serac is positioning itself as a key player in supporting the growth of the dairy industry in the Middle East.

The Serac team looks forward to welcoming you at Booth B1-43 during Gulfood Manufacturing 2025, from 4–6 November at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

For more information, please contact:

Serac Middle East

Office 1205 – Churchill Tower
Business Bay, Dubai – U.A.E.

T.: + 971 (0)4 345 4495 | sales-sas@serac-group.com | www.serac-group.com