Seoul Milk has led many innovations in the dairy industry, including marking manufacturing dates on milk cartons.

By Yoon Ja-young

Seoul Milk, the leading diary manufacturer of the country, marks its 74th anniversary this year. Since 1937 when it was set up to protect the local dairy industry and workers, Seoul Milk has dedicated itself to supplying fresh and quality dairy products, instead of diversifying into other businesses. It thus made many first steps in the development of the local diary industry.

It has been an innovator in the industry, introducing the Cold Chain System and HACCP, or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, for the first time here. It also launched the “First Grade A” Seoul Milk in 2005, upgrading the quality to match that of global dairy powerhouses. It is fulfilling its social responsibility as the leading dairy house of the country, announcing corporate vision on environmental management, which includes cutting carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2014, and engaged in diverse social contribution activities.

Seoul Milk adopted the Cold Chain System in 1984 from dairy farm to customers. It installed milk coolers in all dairy farms it collects milk from, and used refrigerated lorries so that the milk was kept cold until it reached consumers.

It also made an innovation in the manufacturing date marking system in 2009. The food safety regulation here requires businesses to mark either manufacturing date or expiration date, but Seoul Milk voluntarily started marking both of them, to satisfy the consumers’ rights to know about the products and build up stronger trust with them.

Consumers want to have more information regarding the freshness of the products, and diverse businesses have started to fulfill such needs.

Seoul Milk was also the first dairy business here to adopt HACCP for all its products. Through rigorous efforts to control hygiene, it got the HACCP mark for all its factories for milk and yogurt, and processed and natural cheese.

The Milk Master system is another innovation by Seoul Milk to provide consumers with fresh and healthy milk. Every milk cow has its Milk Master, who thoroughly manages its health so that it can provide quality milk. Such efforts enabled it to launch “First Grade A” milk in 2005, which is the highest grade for the milk. Seoul Milk uses the quality milk for yogurt and coffee drinks as well.