Fonterra upgrades New Zealand mozzarella plant

Fonterra is to invest $72 million at its Clandeboye mozzarella plant in New Zealand as it further expands its global foodservice capabilities. The foodservice category includes full and quick service restaurants, institutions, hotels, airline catering facilities and other commercial kitchens. The technology upgrade will double the capacity of the Clandeboye plant in Canterbury to produce individual quick frozen (IQF) grated mozzarella. When fully implemented, this will increase Fonterra’s IQF mozzarella capacity across its two plants in New Zealand to over 50,000 metric tonnes per annum. Additional capacity is required to meet growing international demand, primarily in global fast food restaurant chains, supported by growth in regional fast food and fine dining restaurants, the company says.

Clandeboye uses a manufacturing process that was developed by the Fonterra Research and Development Centre. This technology means that frozen natural shredded mozzarella can be made straight from milk in one day, rather than two months taken by conventional mozzarella processes. Fonterra director of foodservice René Dedoncker says that growth in the global foodservice category is being driven out of emerging Asian markets where the category is estimated to grow at around 13% annually to 2016. “Demand for high-value dairy products like mozzarella is being fuelled by changing dietary habits, particularly in Asia where there is a significant move toward more Westernised diets.”

The upgrade will begin in mid-2014 and is due to be completed by September 2015.