Milkylab

What Milkylab does

MilkyLAB Srl is an Italian industrial machinery manufacturer founded in 1980 and headquartered in Modena, Italy. The company specializes in the design and production of automatic machines and complete production lines for "pasta filata" (stretched curd) cheeses, including fresh and buffalo mozzarella, pizza cheese, analogue mozzarella, string cheese, processed and spreadable cheeses, and ricotta. Its product portfolio spans the full production chain — cheese vats and curd preparation, curd cutters, steam and hot water stretching machines (LAB series with capacities from 80 to 4,000 kg/h), feeding conveyors, salt dosers, moulding machines, compact units, cooling and drying solutions, brine filtration, ricotta equipment, cheese coating chambers, and washing tunnels. Equipment is built in AISI 304/316 stainless steel with PLC control and Siemens touch-screen HMIs, 3A Sanitary and CE compliance.

MilkyLAB monetizes primarily through capital equipment sales to industrial dairy and cheese factories, supplemented by installation, commissioning, training, and ongoing technical support services delivered by qualified technicians and experienced cheesemakers. Pricing is quote-based and customized to production capacity, with a dedicated Trial & Training Center that allows customers to test recipes and train operators before purchase. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven by quotation requests via the company website and direct presence at major international food technology exhibitions (Gulfood Manufacturing, CIBUSTEC, FIC Shanghai, Djazagro, IBA, ANUGA FOODTEC, Dairytech, Fispal, and others).

The company is privately held, with 11–50 employees, a registered capital of €75,000, and operations across 60+ countries supported by 40+ local installation and service partners and a customer base of 300+ active clients. Since 2023, MilkyLAB has operated as part of Milkita Group, a wholly Made in Italy consortium combining three complementary dairy technology providers: MilkyLAB, Pietribiasi, and Frautech Separators. The group presents jointly at international trade shows to deliver an integrated dairy technology offering.

Name

Milkylab

Legal name

MilkyLAB Srl

Website

https://milkylab.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MilkyLAB is an Italian industrial machinery manufacturer founded in 1980 that designs and builds automated production lines for pasta filata (stretched curd) cheeses such as mozzarella, pizza cheese, analogue cheese, and ricotta, serving 300+ dairy factories across 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Processing Equipment

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Pasta Filata Cheese Manufacturing (Mozzarella, Provolone, String Cheese) (AFAHABAC)

Keywords

• Pasta filata cheese equipment
• Dairy processing machinery
• Mozzarella production lines
• Curd stretching machines
• Industrial cheese manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Modena

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Cheese Processing Equipment Sales: Sale of automatic machines and complete production plants for pasta filata cheese manufacturing including stretching machines, curd cutters, molding machines, cooling systems, and auxiliary equipment. Machines are customized based on customer production requirements and capacity needs.
2. Installation, Training, and Technical Support Services: Professional services including installation, commissioning, training, and technical support provided globally by qualified technicians and experienced cheesemakers. Remote assistance services also available.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

MilkyLAB designs, manufactures, and installs automatic machines and complete production plants for the dairy industry, specializing in pasta filata (stretched curd) cheese production. The company sells individual machines (cheese vats, curd cutters, steam and hot water stretchers, moulding machines, compact units, cooling systems, brine filters, ricotta equipment, coating chambers, and cleaning tunnels) as well as full turnkey production lines for mozzarella, pizza cheese, analogue mozzarella, string cheese, processed/spreadable cheeses, and ricotta. Services include installation, commissioning, training, and ongoing technical support through a global network of qualified technicians and experienced cheesemakers.

Product overview

MilkyLAB offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial machinery and automated production lines for the dairy industry, specializing in 'pasta filata' (stretched curd) cheese production. The product portfolio includes: cheese vats and curd preparation equipment, curd cutters, steam and hot water stretching machines (LAB series), feeding conveyors, dry salt dosers, moulding machines (LAB series), compact stretch-moulding units, cooling and drying solutions, brine filtration systems, ricotta production equipment, cheese coating machines, and cleaning tunnels. The company provides complete turnkey production lines for spherical mozzarella, pizza cheese, string cheese, analogue mozzarella, processed and spreadable cheeses, and ricotta. Services include installation, training, and a Trial & Training Center for product testing and client education. Since 2023, MilkyLAB is part of the Milkita Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trial & Training Center: A center for trials, tests, and training managed by MilkyLAB technicians with proven experience in dairy product production including fresh mozzarella, pizza cheese, analogue mozzarella, processed cheese and cream spreads.

Products and services

• Polivalenti (Cheese Vats) Milk coagulation and curd preparation vats manufactured from AISI 304 stainless steel with heating/cooling systems, available in double-O and tilting circular versions with capacities ranging from 1,000 to 18,000 liters. Designed for industrial dairy factories producing pasta filata cheeses.
• Curd Maturation and Moulder Automated system for curd maturation and moulding that forms 10-20 kg curd blocks, loads them into molds, and stacks them in controlled-temperature rooms for optimal pH. Serves industrial cheese processors producing hard and semi-hard pasta filata cheese varieties.
• Curd Cutter (Tagliacagliata) Machine that cuts 10-16 kg fresh or thawed industrial curd into optimal slices for the stretching phase, equipped with automatic CIP cleaning for hygiene compliance. Aimed at industrial cheese factories in the pasta filata segment.
• Steam Melter-Stretcher (Filatrici a vapore) Steam-based stretching machines for pasta filata cheese production built in AISI 316 stainless steel with dual-wall chamber and steam injection. Models include LAB 18/12, LAB 18/25, LAB 18/50, LAB 18/100, LAB 18/200, LAB 18/400, LAB 18/600 with capacities from 80 to 3,000 kg/h. Processes fresh/frozen curd, powder ingredients, and plant/animal fats for analogue cheeses. Targets industrial mozzarella and pizza cheese producers.
• Hot Water Cooker-Stretcher (Filatrici ad acqua) Continuous and discontinuous stretching machines using hot water for pasta filata cheese production from cow and buffalo milk curd, featuring dual counter-rotating augers and water temperature control. Models include LAB 11 (300-1000 kg/h), LAB 11BIS (400-1500 kg/h), LAB 11BIS 2000 (600-2000 kg/h), LAB 12 (200 kg/h), LAB 15, LAB 2500 (2500 kg/h), LAB 5000 (4000 kg/h). Designed for industrial dairy processors.
• Feeding Machines (Trasportatori) Conveyor systems that transport product from stretching machines to moulding machines ensuring a continuous forming process, with optional automatic CIP cleaning. Designed for continuous industrial pasta filata cheese production lines.
• Dry Salt Device (Dosatori di sale) System that proportionally adds dry salt to products based on product volume, detecting height via pressure rollers and speed via encoders for constant dosage. Used in industrial cheese production lines for consistent salting.
• Moulding Machines (Formatrici) Moulding machines for pasta filata cheese forming with extensive accessories and capacities up to 3,000 kg/h. Models include LAB 22, LAB 24, LAB 24/25, LAB 24/40, LAB 21, LAB 21A, LAB 28, LAB 29, LAB 21/28A, LAB 26. Serves industrial mozzarella, pizza cheese, and string cheese producers.
• Compact Machines (Macchine compatte) Compact stretch-moulding units combining steam and moulding technology in a single machine, suitable for small-scale production. Models include COMPACT, COMPACT 50, MINI FILATRICE with capacities up to 500 kg/h. Aimed at smaller dairies and specialty cheese producers.
• Cooling and Drying Solutions Cooling systems including cooling lines, salt immersion lines, and the exclusive SYNCRO air cooling system for spherical mozzarella and pasta filata cheeses. Used by industrial dairy processors for post-forming cheese cooling and surface treatment.
• Brine Filter (Filtro salamoia) System that filters brine from solid residues after salting, pasteurizes at high temperatures, and automatically adds required salt for re-integration. Designed for industrial cheese production facilities with continuous brining operations.
• Ricotta Cheese Equipment Automated solutions for ricotta production including conical-bottom flocculation tanks, draining systems, and smoothing-homogenization machines. Serves industrial ricotta cheese producers.
• Cheese Coating Machine (Cabina di verniciatura) Semi-automatic cheese anti-mold coating chamber that covers cheese surfaces regardless of shape and size, protecting against mold and moisture loss. Used by industrial cheese producers for finished product preservation.
• Cleaning Tunnel and Chamber (Tunnel e cabine di lavaggio) Washing systems for cleaning plastic mould boxes, cheese racks, wooden boards, and trolleys, designed according to local sanitary regulations. Serves industrial dairy and cheese processing facilities requiring compliant sanitation equipment.
• Trial & Training Center Center for trials, tests, and training managed by experienced technicians, allowing clients to produce fresh mozzarella, pizza cheese, analogue mozzarella, processed cheese, and cream spreads. Provides hands-on training in Italian cheesemaking techniques and know-how transfer. Serves industrial dairy customers and prospective buyers seeking production validation.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Milkita GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Since 2023, MilkyLAB has been part of Milkita Group, a fully 'Made in Italy' group offering complete dairy technologies. The group includes MilkyLAB, Pietribiasi, and Frautech Separators, presenting together at international trade shows as Milkita Group.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: GEA Group is a large global supplier of food processing technology, including separators, homogenizers, and complete dairy and cheese plants. It competes broadly with MilkyLAB on dairy/cheese processing equipment but at a much larger scale and broader portfolio, including mozzarella lines.
• Alfa Laval: Alfa Laval manufactures heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling equipment widely used in dairy processing, including cheese and whey applications. It is comparable as a supplier of core process modules (separators, heat exchangers) that complement or overlap with MilkyLAB's stretching/molding systems.
• SPX FLOW: SPX FLOW supplies process equipment for dairy and food, including cheese making and whey processing lines. Comparable to MilkyLAB in serving cheese producers with engineered processing systems, though with a broader portfolio.
• Tetra Pak: Tetra Pak provides processing equipment, packaging, and complete dairy plant solutions globally, including cheese making systems. It overlaps with MilkyLAB on dairy processing equipment for mozzarella and other cheeses but bundles a much wider processing-and-packaging offering.

Direct peers

• Alpma: Alpma is a German specialist in cheese making and dairy processing equipment, including molds, presses, and processing lines. It directly competes with MilkyLAB on engineered cheese-making equipment for industrial customers.
• Stephan Machinery (ProXES): Stephan Machinery, part of ProXES, supplies food processing equipment including mixers, cookers, and processing lines for cheese and dairy applications. Comparable to MilkyLAB as a supplier of engineered thermal/mechanical processing equipment for dairy.
• CMT (Costruzioni Meccaniche e Tecnologie): CMT is an Italian-based supplier of dairy processing equipment and engineered systems for cheese production. Directly comparable to MilkyLAB as a fellow Italian dairy equipment specialist serving pasta filata and other cheese producers.
• Scherjon: Scherjon is a Dutch manufacturer of cheese making equipment and complete dairy processing lines. Comparable to MilkyLAB as a European specialist serving artisanal and industrial cheese producers with similar process machinery.
• Tecnal: Tecnal is a French manufacturer of equipment and complete lines for cheese making and dairy processing. It competes directly with MilkyLAB on engineered cheese production systems for industrial customers.

Emerging players

• VNE (Vilter Manufacturing / VNE Italia): VNE Italia designs and supplies dairy and cheese processing equipment with overlap to MilkyLAB's stretching, molding, and curd handling systems. Comparable as a regional/specialized European dairy equipment maker focused on cheese production technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milkylab-srl
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Milkylab