Fonterra invests $32m in sliced cheese facility

Fonterra will invest $32 million to expand its slice-on-slice cheese capacity at its Eltham site in Taranaki. The slice-on-slice cheese is used in quick-service restaurants for products such as hamburgers and sandwiches.

The work is expected to be completed by mid-2015. The company says the expansion will deliver increased capacity and improved processes, meeting increased global demand from its foodservice clients.

“Our foodservice business has grown 9% in volume over the past three years and the profitability of foodservice has increased 11% in the same period. We also achieved double-digit growth in China where foodservice grew 28%,” said Fonterra Director of Foodservice René Dedoncker.

“This investment in slice-on-slice cheese is in response to fast-growing demand throughout Australasia, Asia and the Middle East.”

Dedoncker said that driving the company’s foodservice business is one of seven strategic pathways as part of a mission to meet ambitious growth targets in the next five years.