Fonterra announces NZD 150m investment into facilities in Taranaki, New Zealand

Sep 23, 2024
2 min read

Fonterra is investing a further NZD 150m (approx. $93.5m) into its operations, building a new cool store at its Whareroa site in Taranaki, New Zealand.

This latest announcement is the third of several investments made by the dairy co-operative within the last month, following the news of a new protein plant at its Studholme site and a new UHT cream plant at Edendale.

The new cool store at Whareroa will be the size of three rugby fields (19,000-square-metres) and will store around 26,000 tonnes of cheese. It will increase the site’s cool store capacity by around 5,000 tonnes.

Construction will begin next month and will take place over two phases to enable the existing building to remain operational. It is forecast to take three years to complete and is expected to bring new local employment opportunities.

Established in 1972, the Whareroa site currently employs more than 11,000 members of staff and contains 11 plants producing mozzarella, dry salt cheese, butter, whole and skim milk powder, protein concentrates and isolates, and more.

Fonterra’s chief operating officer, Anna Palairet, said the recent investments will have a “significant impact” on the co-op and that the new cool store will play a “crucial role in the resilience of the cooperative’s supply chain”.

She commented: “As is always the case when making investment decisions, we carefully consider where to allocate capital to maximise value to farmer shareholders and unit holders over the long-term”.

Commenting on the wider recent investments, Fonterra’s CEO, Miles Hurrell, said: “Our strong balance sheet is enabling us to invest for future growth and support ongoing delivery of our strategy”.

“These investments enable us to keep growing our ingredients and foodservice businesses as we look to prioritise these channels to create more value for the co-op.”

#Fonterra #NewZealand

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Leah Smith

8 May 2026

New products

Ella’s Kitchen launches new children's snack range

Ella’s Kitchen is expanding beyond the baby food aisle with the launch of Ella’s Kitchen Kids, a new product line aimed at children aged 18 months and older.

The launch marks a significant strategic move for the brand as it looks to extend its presence beyond the weaning category and capture growing demand for healthier snack options for toddlers and young children.

Positioned as a “better-for-you” alternative to traditional children’s snacks, the new range combines bold flavours, playful branding and convenient formats with the nutritional standards parents associate with the Ella’s Kitchen brand.

The company said the range was developed in response to changing family eating habits and the lack of minimally processed snack options for older toddlers outside the baby aisle.

Initial products include Ella’s Kitchen Kids Crunchy Stix in Cheese + Onion, Tomato + Basil and Pesto varieties, alongside Ella’s Kitchen Kids Wild Crackers available in Tomato + Oregano, Pea + Basil and Carrot + Rosemary flavours.

Designed for lunchboxes, picnics and snacking occasions, the products are formulated with reduced salt levels and classified as non-HFSS options. According to the company, the Crunchy Stix contain less than 0.04g of salt per pack, while the Crackers contain less than 0.05g per serving.

Emma Wood, Senior Brand Manager at Ella’s Kitchen, said: “Ella’s Kitchen Kids is about recognising that the journey doesn’t stop at baby food. As little ones grow, their tastes, independence and routines all change – but parents still want options they can feel good about.”

The launch also signals Ella’s Kitchen’s wider ambitions within the children’s snacking market, with additional products and categories expected later this year.

Wood added that the company aims to help “raise the standards of the kids’ food category” by balancing taste, convenience and nutrition.