Laïta to invest in dairy ingredients

French co-operative company Laïta, which was established five years ago as an umbrella organisation representing the dairy activities of the Even, Terrena and Triskalia cooperatives, has unveiled an €80-million, two-year development plan in dry dairy ingredients in addition to its ongoing investments. It will include new industrial equipment at the Finistère, Côtes-d’Armor and Loire-Atlantique Laïta sites in northwest France. The additions are expected to be operational by 2017 and will include annual production of an additional 30,000 tonnes of canned infant milk powders and premium milk powders, production of 7,500 tonnes of demineralised whey, and membrane filtration of an additional 230,000 litres of milk per day. Overall, Laïta will gain a 15% increase in its milk processing capacity and require another 100 employees.

The investment is aimed at capturing highly demanding markets with respect to food quality and safety in France, Europe and worldwide, the company says. Laïta’s core manufacturing operations are in butter and cheese and it has 3,750 farms that supply it with milk.

“Laïta has the investment capacity to capture new markets which create value and thus support the projects at the dairy farms that supply us with milk. This solution, with volume and value, protects and perpetuates the Laïta cooperative venture,” notes Dominique Chargé, president of Laïta.