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FrieslandCampina will invest more than €90 million to expand its whey protein operations and upgrade production facilities in the Netherlands.

The programme, led by its ingredients division, includes upgrades at sites in Bedum, Veghel and Workum. The investment aims to increase capacity for converting whey, a by-product of cheese production, into higher-value protein ingredients.

The company will expand production of products such as WPC80, instantised whey proteins and its Nutri Whey ProHeat ingredient, which are used in applications including protein drinks, snack bars and yogurt.

Demand for whey proteins is rising across sports nutrition, lifestyle products and medical nutrition, prompting manufacturers to scale up output and improve processing capabilities. FrieslandCampina said the upgrades will increase capacity and improve flexibility across its whey processing network.

Anne Peter Lindeboom, president of FrieslandCampina Ingredients, said: “Global demand for advanced protein solutions continues to accelerate. This programme is the next step in our broader investment strategy to lead in high-value proteins, building on recent investments to strengthen whey capacity and valorisation in the Netherlands such as in Borculo, and in the United States through the acquisition of Wisconsin Whey Protein."

"By investing across our ingredients network, we are strengthening our ability to serve customers worldwide and to create more value from our whey streams in a sustainable and future-oriented way.”

The programme also includes energy- and water-efficiency improvements and the retirement of older production lines. FrieslandCampina expects the changes to cut Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions by around 16 kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent.

The investments will be phased over several years, with full operational capacity expected by 2028.