Former Veterinary Assistant Nurtures Dairy Success in Malaysia

Driven by passion and belief in the potential of local dairy products, a former veterinary assistant left a stable government job to carve out his own path in the milk-based food industry.

R. Ratha Krishnan, 43, decided to take early retirement from the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) five years ago and founded Betalac Dairy House Sdn Bhd, a dairy processing company based in Jelapang, Ipoh.

From its humble beginnings of selling only fresh milk, the company now produces a range of products, including yoghurt, flavoured milk, butter, ghee, lassi drinks, and paneer (cottage cheese).

“I saw great potential in the production of local milk-based products. My family has long been involved in the industry on a small scale, so I took the step to expand and breathe new life into it,“ said Ratha Krishnan.

The company sources milk from DVS-registered farmers, using around 1,500 litres of fresh milk weekly, reaching up to 4,000 litres monthly.

Beyond dairy production, Betalac Dairy House developed the Paneer Compactio, a manual compression machine designed for hygienic and efficient paneer production.

The machine, priced at RM1,800, simplifies the traditional method of using stones and weights.

Weighing 32 kg, the stainless steel Paneer Compactio can produce over 30 kg of paneer daily.

The innovation earned third place in the Industrial Innovation (Product) Award at DVS Innovation Day in Putrajaya.

Looking ahead, the company plans to expand its paneer product line, including a vegetarian nugget-like alternative.

Ratha Krishnan aims to open a dedicated outlet and collaborate with research institutions to enhance product development. – Bernama