Milk processor and contract manufacturer for spray drying, milk fats, ingredients, instant beverages and health-food products
Uelzena eG
Uelzen · Bismark · Ratzeburg · Warmsen · Neumünster · MünchbergNew on Amplifa
About the Uelzena Group
Uelzena eG is a cooperatively organised dairy processing group headquartered in Uelzen (Lower Saxony). It produces and refines milk-based and non-dairy products for the food industry: milk powder (skimmed milk and buttermilk powder), butter, butterfat (anhydrous milk fat) and milk fat specialities, sweetened condensed milk, cream as well as instant beverage powders made from cocoa, coffee and tea. Core competencies are contract spray drying of customer-owned raw materials (flavours, colourants, vitamins, protein hydrolysates, plant extracts), the production of dry blends and agglomerates, and milk fat processing including fractionation, decolourisation and cholesterol reduction in a purely physical process. Through its stake in BHI Biohealth International (Münchberg), the group also offers contract manufacturing of food supplements. The group employs more than 500 staff at its headquarters and supplies market leaders in the food industry across Europe and worldwide.
- Site
- Uelzen
- Processes
- Spray drying, Milk fat processing (butter, anhydrous butterfat, fat blends), Fractionation of milk fat, Decolourisation of milk fat, Cholesterol reduction, Producing dry blends, Agglomeration of powders, Manufacturing instant beverages (cocoa, coffee, tea, toppings, coffee whitener)
- Materials
- Milk, Skimmed milk powder, Buttermilk powder, Milk fat / butterfat, Beet sugar, Cocoa, Coffee, Tea
- Certificates
- ISO 9001, ISO 50001, FSSC 22000, IFS (Higher Level), Organic (DE-ÖKO-070), Fairtrade, Kosher, Halal, Rainforest Alliance, GMP (11195), ISO 17025, Kosher / Halal
- Founded
- 1952
- Employees
- 500+
- Industries
- Food industry (bakery products, confectionery, ice cream, delicatessen,, Coffee roasters, Vending/automatic dispensing industry, Gastronomy, Food retail, Catering
- 01
Procurement of raw milk and agricultural raw materials (cocoa, coffee, tea,
- 02
Processing at Uelzena plants (spray drying, milk fat processing, blending)
- 03
Quality inspection and laboratory control
- 04
Packing (sticks, sachets, tins, bag-in-box, tanker truck)
- 05
Warehousing and logistics
- 06
Delivery to industry, raw material traders and private-label customers
Raw Materials and Processes
Skimmed milk powder (low/medium-heat)
Basic ingredient for the food industry, produced at the Uelzen plant and at MTW Neumünster.
Buttermilk powder
Milk powder product for industrial further processing.
Milk fat / anhydrous butterfat
Speciality with a standardised or customer-specific melting point, also available decolourised or as fat blends.
Sweetened condensed milk
Produced in Warmsen in various fat levels and dry matter contents.
Cream / delicatessen cream
Available standardised and lactose-free.
Instant beverage powder (cocoa, coffee, tea)
Beverage powders for vending machines, capsules and manual preparation.
Spray-dried customer raw materials
Flavours, colourants, vitamins, minerals, protein hydrolysates and plant extracts on a contract basis.
Food supplements
Powders, tablets, hard capsules and liquids, contract-manufactured by BHI Biohealth.
Semi-hard cheese and branded butter
Foil-ripened semi-hard cheese and German branded butter (Deutsche Markenbutter) from Bismark.
Sites of the Uelzena Group
Uelzen
DEHeadquarters, production & development (Uelzena eG)
- Materials
- Milk, milk fat, powder raw materials
- several spray towers of various sizes and spray technologies
- milk fat fractionation plant
- blending and agglomeration plants
- packing lines (sticks, sachets, tins, tube bags)
- combined heat and power plant
Bismark
DEProduction (Altmark-Käserei Uelzena GmbH: semi-hard cheese, branded butter)
- Materials
- Milk, cream
- cheese dairy (since 1992)
- butter dairy (since 1997)
- combined heat and power plant
Ratzeburg
DEProduction of instant beverages (H. Schoppe & Schultz GmbH & Co. KG)
- Materials
- Cocoa, coffee, tea, milk powder, sugar
- blending and agglomeration plants
- packing lines for sticks, sachets, tins, tube bags
Warmsen
DEProduction of sweetened condensed milk (WS Warmsener Spezialitäten GmbH)
- Materials
- Milk, sugar, vegetable fats
- milk processing plants
Neumünster
DEJoint venture for spray drying of skimmed milk powder (MTW, 25 % stake)
- Materials
- Milk
- spray tower with 60,000 t skimmed milk powder annual capacity
Münchberg
DEStake in contract manufacturing of food supplements (BHI Biohealth International GmbH)
- Materials
- Protein powders, vitamins, minerals, plant extracts
- blending and filling lines for powders, tablets, hard capsules, liquids
Products and Services
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spray dryingOther | – | – | – | – | Milk, Skimmed milk, Protein hydrolysates, Plant-based colourants, Flavours, Vitamins, Minerals, Plant extracts, Seasonings and additives |
| Milk fat processing (butter, anhydrous butterfat, fat blends)Other | – | – | – | – | Milk fat, Cream, Vegetable fats |
| Fractionation of milk fatOther | – | – | – | – | Milk fat |
| Decolourisation of milk fatOther | – | – | – | – | Milk fat |
| Cholesterol reductionOther | – | – | – | – | Milk fat |
| Producing dry blendsOther | – | – | – | – | Beverage powders, Powder raw materials |
| Agglomeration of powdersOther | – | – | – | – | Beverage powders |
| Manufacturing instant beverages (cocoa, coffee, tea, toppings, coffee whitener)Other | – | – | – | – | Cocoa, Coffee, Tea, Milk powder, Sugar |
| Packing (sticks, sachets, tins, tube bags)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Powder products |
| Contract manufacturing of food supplements (blending and filling lines; powders, tablets,Other | – | – | – | – | Protein powders, Vitamins, Minerals, Plant extracts |
| Cheese dairy (foil-ripened semi-hard cheese)Other | – | – | – | – | Milk |
| Butter dairy (Deutsche Markenbutter branded butter, baker's butter)Other | – | – | – | – | Milk fat, Cream |
| Manufacturing sweetened condensed milkOther | – | – | – | – | Milk, Sugar, Vegetable fats |
| Standardisation of cream and dairy productsOther | – | – | – | – | Cream, Milk |
| Standardising, emulsifying and concentratingOther | – | – | – | – | Milk raw materials |
| Coating of powdersSurface | – | – | – | – | Powders |
| Recombining milk fat fractionsOther | – | – | – | – | Milk fat fractions |
| Manufacturing lactose-free cream and customer-specific compounds/preparationsOther | – | – | – | – | Cream, Milk |
| Product development for foods/ingredients (customer-specific recipe development)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Quality inspection (microbiological, chemical-physical, sensory; gas chromatography, NIR, NMR,Testing | – | – | – | – | Raw materials, Intermediates, Finished products |
8 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spray tower | – | several | – | – | Uelzen |
| Spray tower (one of the largest in Europe) | – | 1 | – | – | Neumünster |
| Milk fat fractionation plant (unique in Germany) | – | 1 | – | – | Uelzen |
| Blending and agglomeration plants | – | – | – | – | Uelzen, Ratzeburg |
| Packing lines (sticks, sachets, tins, tube bags) | – | – | – | – | Uelzen, Ratzeburg |
| Blending and filling lines (food supplements) | – | – | – | – | Münchberg |
| Combined heat and power plant | – | – | – | – | Uelzen, Bismark |
| Milk processing plants | – | – | – | – | Uelzen, Bismark, Warmsen |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Certifications
The entire production chain from raw material procurement to completion is monitored; risk-based inspection plans cover microbiological, chemical-physical and sensory properties. The laboratories in Uelzen operate in accordance with ISO 17025 requirements (gas chromatography, NIR, NMR, particle size measurement, S2 laboratory) and a comprehensive HACCP and allergen management system is in place.
| Evidence | Uelzena Group |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| ISO 50001 | |
| FSSC 22000 | |
| IFS (Higher Level) | |
| Organic (DE-ÖKO-070) | |
| Kosher / Halal |
History
- 1952
Foundation of Uelzena eG as a cooperative association of dairies; start of production at the Uelzen and Lüchow sites
- 1955
Trading name changed to Uelzena Milchwerke eG
- 1972
Trading name changed to Uelzena Milchwerke eGmbH
- 1991
Founding of Altmark-Käserei Uelzena GmbH in Bismark
- 1992
Commissioning of the modern cheese dairy in Bismark
- 1997
Acquisition of Hoche Butter GmbH; expansion of the Bismark cheese dairy with a butter dairy
- 1999
Trading name changed to Uelzena eG
- 2003
H. Schoppe & Schultz GmbH & Co. KG becomes part of the Uelzena Group
- 2012
Stake acquired in MTW Milchtrockenwerk Norddeutschland GmbH in Neumünster
- 2013
Consolidation of ingredient production under the Uelzena Ingredients brand
- 2014
Introduction of the five fields of action of the sustainability strategy; commissioning of MTW Neumünster
- 2018
Acquisition of TRILACTIS GmbH by Hoche Butter
- 2019
Stake in BHI Biohealth International GmbH, Münchberg
- 2024
First double materiality analysis under the ESRS; scope of application of the LkSG (German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act)
- 2025
Highest raw material intake in the company's history; Sustainability Report 2025