Meiji will invest ¥5 billion ($47.9 million) in its Toda plant north of Tokyo in order to further expand its capacity for functional yogurt.
The site, in Saitama, will benefit from the installation of an additional production line for functional yogurt drinks packed in PET bottles, which is set to become operational by the end of December.
The move allows the Japanese company to grow its Probio yogurt brand, and extends its core focus on products that contribute to a healthy diet as part of its Step Up 17 medium-term plan.
Meiji does not expect the investment to impact on its consolidated financial results for the year to March 2017, but still anticipates ‘continuous growth’ in the functional yogurt category.
“Meiji expects that increased health awareness and understanding of the functional value of lactobacillus among consumers will lead to continuous growth for the market,” it said in a statement.
It will ‘build appropriate production systems and expand its functional yogurt business’, as is demonstrated in its latest round of investments, in order to keep pace.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024