ofi Expands Manufacturing Capacity with Opening of New Dairy Facility in New Zealand
ofi (olam food ingredients), a global leader in naturally good food and beverage ingredients, opened the first phase of its new dairy processing plant located in the dairy heartland of New Zealand – the Waikato region in the north island of the country. The facility will produce dairy ingredients like whole milk powder to meet growing demand, targeting key customer applications in dessert, bakery, beverage, and confectionery categories.
The Tokoroa dairy ingredients forms part of ofi’s much wider natural ingredients portfolio which includes cocoa, coffee, nuts and spices, ideal combinations with dairy for customized products such as yogurts, protein bars and ready-to-drink tea, coffee and cocoa beverages. The new facility also complements ofi’s existing global footprint, driving stronger partnerships with its customers and strengthening its co-creation capabilities across the region.
The next stage of investment will see further capability added to the facility to develop high value dairy ingredients, expanding the range of ofi’s offering. It will also enable ofi to look at ways to grow the value of its milk, generating better returns for its farmer partners while delivering on its ambition to produce ingredients in a way that is socially responsible and environmentally sustainable.
“As we continue to expand our dairy manufacturing capabilities and innovation infrastructure, the new Tokoroa plant will become part of a global network that spans major milk consumption markets, such as South-East Asia, China, the Middle East, and Africa,” said Sandeep Jain, Managing Director and CEO, Dairy, at ofi. “The new plant also complements a suite of enhancements made to ofi’s dairy production facility and Ingredient Excellence Centre (IEC) in Johor, Malaysia back in September – which combined with our Customer Solutions Center based in Singapore, enables us to co-create bespoke food and beverage solutions for our customers. Our dairy business is well positioned to serve increased demand from our global customer base and co-create innovative applications at scale – driving additional focus on the value-added capabilities within our portfolio.”
ofi’s new facility will also help address its customers’ innovation, traceability, and sustainable sourcing requirements, engaging those keen to secure ingredients from New Zealand’s high quality milk pool with the opportunity to partner on sustainability initiatives.