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Leaving behind the sandy roads, our route to the factory in Sheikhupura is paved, smoother, less scenic. Heat and odour aside, I find myself missing the slow pace and relative peace of country life. I wouldn’t mind running a farm – as long as I can get a decent Wifi connection.
Halfway through daydreaming, we reach the Nestle factory.
First impression: woah. A behemoth. It's a massive complex, complete with giant towers which I'm told are storing milk.
We are quickly ushered into a (thankfully air-conditioned) boardroom where an unassuming, middle-aged gentleman greets us. This is Abrar Ahmed, the factory manager i.e. head honcho around here. And he is loaded with facts and stats.
BIG INFOGRAPHIC IN THE CENTER
The factory occupies an area about the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The production of UHT (ultra-high temperature) milk kicked off in PAKISTAN? In 1981. AT THIS FACTORY? NEED FACTORY INFO HERE
The factory is home to 37 per cent of Nestle’s personnel in Pakistan.
ONE MORE NEEDED
Very cool. But where is Shahbaz’s 60 liters of milk?
We’re given white lab coats, surgical caps, oversized shoes and handed over to plant manager Mumtaz Hussain, our tour guide and “don’t contaminate the milk” overseer.
Transport, offloading, more tests…
I’m back out in the dead heat, heading to destination one: the truck reception area, where our truck is currently being hosed down and scrubbed by a man in white overalls. I’m told this is imperative to prevent the milk being contaminated before the tank is opened.
After this, it’s another battery of tests. (If you’re keeping count, that’s X tests so far, with another X to go.)
First, in a 50 minute long procedure, milk samples are taken and checked to make sure this batch is at the right temperature and matches what was recorded at the collection point.
The milk samples are then taken to a small lab where they check for bacteria, freshness and whether there are any added sugars. They also conduct a urea test, which is used to check milk density to determine whether the milk has been tampered with.
The first sip
PHOTO OF GLASS
After a couple of more procedures to test the milk composition, a taste test is also performed. The milk is poured into a glass where the technician sniffs it for any foul smells before taking the shot to test for fat and taste.
At this point, I get my first sip of milk that has travelled from farm, to collection point, to taste glass. Feeling quite the connoisseur, I am told there will be more tastings up ahead.
Hussain takes us onwards to the Milk Receiving Unit (MRU) where the truck is registered and the driver handed a key reader to confirm that each process was conducted and a go-ahead received. Beyond this, I’m led to another station where the milk is offloaded.
