Tetra Pak today announced net sales of ?8.8 billion in 2008 - up 5 percent from 2007 in comparable terms. Packaging Solutions reached ?7.8 billion in sales in 2008 - an increase of 4.5 percent over 2007 and sales of Processing Solutions reached ?949 million in 2008, up 9.3 percent over the previous year.

Continuing growth in Central and South America, the Middle East, China, South and Southeast Asia and also in North America and Southern Europe drove the rise in Packaging Solutions’ sales, while Processing Solutions benefited from new sales generated by the acquisition of two specialist food processing firms as well as sales growth in virtually all regions. Overall, sales growth declined during the last quarter of 2008 due to a slow down in capital equipment investment and lower demand caused by stalling economies and the global credit crunch.

In 2008, Tetra Pak continued its planned investment in new plant and equipment around the world, announcing plans to invest to build a state-of-the-art packaging material manufacturing plant in Pakistan and in new equipment in order to increase production in Brazil and Italy.

To strengthen its portfolio of complete production solutions for cheese and dairy powder, Tetra Pak acquired two specialised food processing companies, Downer MBL Pty Ltd and Downer MBL, from Australia-based Downer EDI (ASX:DOW).

In 2008 Tetra Pak supplied a record 141 billion individual packages used by leading food and beverage companies around the world to deliver over 70.6 billion litres of milk, juice, fruits and other products to consumers. That represents a 3% rise over the number of beverages consumed in Tetra Pak cartons in 2007.