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The Kraft Heinz Company has boosted the capacity of its factory in La Rioja, Spain, by 50% as part of a €70m investment.

The expansion project aims to strengthen the site’s position as one of the company’s ‘most efficient’ facilities in Europe. It will help Kraft Heinz to meet increasing demand for its expanding range of Heinz sauces in Europe.

A year and a half after breaking ground at the site in Alfaro, La Rioja, the factory has been bolstered by a new state-of-the-art processing plant to enhance production capabilities. The new plant will also generate 39 new permanent jobs in the region.

In addition to producing a range of Heinz sauces for local and European consumption, the Alfaro plant processes around 25,000 tons of locally grown tomatoes each year for the company’s Orlando brand.

The investment forms part of a broader expansion strategy, which has resulted in the installation of new high-speed filling lines and a new pilot plant located at Kraft Heinz’s R&D centre in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Willem Brandt, president of The Kraft Heinz Company’s European and Pacific Developed Markets, said: “The expansion of our Alfaro factory marks an important step in our journey to become Europe’s number one player in sauces, in and out of home”.

“With increased capacity and new, cutting-edge technology, we’ll be able to respond more readily to evolving culinary trends and tastes – including the demand for healthier versions of fan favourites, like Heinz mayonnaise.”