In the early 1900s, the Maltese Islands were hit by an alarming increase in the prevalence of Mediterranean fever. Sir Temi Zammit, a Maltese member of the Mediterranean Fever Commission, discovered that goat’s milk was responsible for the great majority of fever cases.

Despite the changes in legislation and regulations to control the disease spread by raw goat’s milk, the 1920s and 1930s were characterised by a steady increase in brucellosis cases, as the public continued to consume raw milk. As a result, a special committee was appointed to report on the feasibility of setting up a milk pasteurisation plant after drawing attention to the expenditure then being incurred by the government in the hospital treatment of undulant fever cases. The commission report gave birth to an organised dairy industry on the Maltese islands.

May 11, 1938 saw the official inauguration and opening of the Milk Centre in Ħamrun, which in 1943 became the Milk Marketing Undertaking (MMU).

The sale and distribution of pasteurised milk commenced in Valletta, Floriana, Sliema, and Ħamrun in special electrically-driven vans.

Following World War II, cow’s milk in addition to goat’s milk started being pasteurised and sold in the same way as goat’s milk. However, the bottles had different caps. In 1957, the whole of Malta was closed for the sale of raw milk.

In 1986, the Milk Marketing Undertaking transferred its obligations and responsibilities to a newly formed private company Malta Dairy Products Ltd, and two years later, the brand name Benna was introduced on the products.

From then onwards, the company continued to expand its range of products and fulfill its mission to provide each and every outlet in Malta and Gozo with fresh pasteurised cow’s milk every single day.