What is the Novalac Processor?

The Novalac Farm Fresh Processor is Associated Dairyfab's all-in-one dairy processing unit — a system that integrates pasteurisation, paneer production and curd (dahi) production into a single compact system requiring no separate boiler, no external steam supply and no complex installation. It is designed for farm-level and small dairy plant operators who want to process their raw milk into higher-value dairy products without the capital cost and operational complexity of a full-scale dairy processing plant.

The unit processes up to 2,000 litres of raw milk per day and can produce pasteurised liquid milk, fresh paneer and set curd in the same operational day — switching between product types simply by following the appropriate operating protocol. This flexibility makes it particularly valuable for farm dairies, small cooperative processing units and rural dairy entrepreneurs who need to respond to varying market demand for different dairy products.

Why No Boiler?

Traditional dairy pasteurisation requires steam, which requires a boiler. A steam boiler requires a boiler operator licence, regular statutory inspection, significant fuel cost, and substantial maintenance. For small dairy operations processing under 5,000 litres per day, the capital and operating cost of a boiler system frequently makes processing economically unviable.

The Novalac processor eliminates the boiler requirement entirely through an integrated indirect heating system that achieves pasteurisation temperatures without steam. The system uses precisely controlled electric heating with full temperature monitoring and data logging — providing the regulatory documentation required for pasteurised milk certification without the boiler infrastructure. The result is a processing system that a two-person team can operate reliably, with significantly lower capital cost and operational complexity than traditional boiler-based systems.

Products That Can Be Made

Pasteurised liquid milk: The Novalac pasteurises milk to standard HTST parameters (72°C for 15 seconds), producing pasteurised milk with a 7–10 day shelf life under refrigeration. The integrated cooling system brings the pasteurised milk back to 4°C immediately after heating, maximising shelf life. Fresh paneer: The paneer production process uses the Novalac's heating capability to coagulate milk protein at the appropriate temperature, with a manual pressing stage to produce fresh paneer in standard block or cube format. Set curd (dahi): The Novalac's controlled temperature-holding capability creates the ideal environment for lactic acid fermentation, producing consistent set curd from inoculated pasteurised milk.

The ability to produce all three product types — pasteurised milk, paneer and curd — from the same unit at different times of the day or week gives the small dairy operator flexibility to match production to market demand and to achieve significantly higher revenue per litre of raw milk than selling into the raw milk supply chain.

Target Markets for the Novalac Processor

The Novalac processor is particularly well-suited to markets where small-scale dairy processing is commercially viable — typically urban and peri-urban areas with strong consumer demand for fresh dairy products, and rural areas where processed dairy product access is limited. In India, the unit has been deployed across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and other states by farm-level dairy entrepreneurs adding processing capability to their existing milk production operations.

Export deployments of the Novalac processor are concentrated in South Asia and East Africa, where the combination of growing urban consumer dairy demand, high margins for processed dairy products and limited formal processing capacity creates strong commercial conditions for farm-level processing operations.