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Unilever’s sauce brand Hellmann’s has invested €14.7 million in its Pouso Alegre nutrition factory in Brazil. The funding will be used to enhance operations and to meet increasing consumer demand for the brand’s squeeze bottle products – last year, Brazil’s demand for mayonnaise in squeeze bottles grew by 30%. The investment is expected to increase squeeze bottle production capacity at the plant by ‘double digits.’ Edmundo Mollo, factory director at Pouso Alegre, said: “We are growing at double digits across the business in Brazil, mainly in squeeze bottle lines. Every month we are gaining market share, and we need more capacity. It gives us the opportunity to further optimise in terms of performance, equipment components and data collection.” The capital will enable the plant to become more high-tech, utilising machine learning and AI to enable continual improvement of the factory’s efficiency. The Pouso Alegre plant has high sustainability credentials owing to its biodigester. Since its instalment last year, the biodigester has delivered 100% of the thermal renewable energy needed to power the plant. It's been a busy first half of the year for Hellmann's – the brand introduced a trio of new flavoured mayonnaise varieties in the US last month and launched a new garlic aioli sauce in the same market in April. In March, the brand began trials of its temperature-detecting 'Smart Jars' in a bid to reduce food waste.