US – Lactalis, a French dairy group and a global whey producer, plans to invest US$32m in expanding its Buffalo facility in New York to boost its whey production.
The dairy group said the investment covers setting up a new evaporator and powerhouse, “a multi-year project’ to expand the facility to have a 30% boost in whey production.
Technavio notes that the whey protein market in the US has the potential to grow by US$829.71 million during 2021-2025, and the market’s growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 7.28%.
The expansion in production capacity indicates how strong the US whey market is growing, attributed to increasing awareness about the health benefits of whey protein among consumers, increasing the number of product launches by vendors, and focusing on an active and healthy lifestyle.
The new project will cover approximately 6,600 square-foot to house the evaporator and a 4,000-square-foot powerhouse building for the electrical equipment.
The Buffalo plant, according to Lactalis, collects more than seven hundred million pounds of milk each year, supporting 150 dairy farms.
Whey, a byproduct of cheese production, is the liquid that remains after milk has been curdled, strained, and has several commercial uses – to make yoghurt, cottage cheese, and ricotta cheese.
“By expanding whey production means Lactalis can make more ricotta in particular,” a company spokesperson said.
Lactalis in the United States is committed to enriching lives by producing nutritious and great-tasting dairy products.
The company offers a strong, well-regarded portfolio of dairy products in the United States, including Galbani ricotta Italian cheese.
The Cheese brand, produced exclusively in Buffalo, is the No. 1 brand of ricotta in the United States based on sales.
Last year, Buffalo Bills announced that Galbani had been selected as the Official Cheese of the Buffalo Bills.
“We’re proud to partner with Lactalis and welcome Galbani as the Official Cheese of the Buffalo Bills,” said Dan Misko, Pegula Sports & Entertainment senior vice president of business development.
The company operates 11 production facilities and six corporate offices in the US.
Lactalis recently offloaded a small cheese factory in Argentina. The plant was serving the B2B market. Neither the financial details of the deal nor the buyer was disclosed.
Earlier this year, another cheese giant, Saputo built a new cut-and-wrap cheese facility and closed three dairy plants in the US in attempts to “streamline” operations.
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