Fonterra starts operations at new cheese facility

DAIRY producer Fonterra has completed its new production site for mozzarella at Clandeboye. According to the company, it will be able to double its output to top over 300 million pizzas a year.

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The expansion is also part of Fonterra’s strategy to increase its presence in foodservice. Most of the Clandeboye facility’s output will go to markets in Asia, including China, as well as the Middle East where demand in the consumer and foodservice sectors is growing, said managing director of Global Operations Robert Spurway.

The facility will be in operation 24 hours a day said Clandeboye Site Manager Steve McKnight. “We’re seeing the popularity of cheese really take off in Asia, so the timing of this upgrade couldn’t be better,” said Mr McKnight. “To meet orders from that market, we will be producing cheese 24 hours a day, making use of our new lines and taking winter milk from our farmers in Canterbury, Southland and Otago.”

In line with this expansion, Fonterra will increase its production of cream cheese at Te Rapa and slice-on-slice cheese capacity at Eltham.