POLAND – In a strategic move to meet the surging demand for its popular ramen noodles brands, Unilever, the global Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) giant, has announced a substantial investment of nearly US$20.8 million in its food factory located in Poznań, Poland.
The significant investment is set to add a cutting-edge production line dedicated to the production of its renowned Knorr, Unox, and Amino noodle brands.
The project will not only elevate production volumes but also incorporate state-of-the-art automation technology, enabling the Poznań plant to churn out a staggering 600,000 packs of noodles each day.
The expanded production will cater to consumers not only in Poland but also in neighboring countries such as Hungary, the Netherlands, and select European nations.
Poznań, which falls under Unilever’s nutrition business division, boasts an extensive portfolio of Unilever facilities in Poland.
In addition to the Poznań food factory, Unilever operates an operations center in Katowice and a production site in Bydgoszcz, focusing on home and personal-care products.
“The investment in Poznań will help us continue to respond to the growing demands of the European market. Moreover, our Polish food business is also strengthening its position within the Unilever portfolio,” Hanneke Faber, President of the nutrition business unit at Unilever, stated.
While Unilever does not disclose specific sales figures for individual emerging-market countries, the company is significantly committed to driving growth in this region.
In the first half of its latest fiscal year, Unilever reported impressive underlying sales growth (USG) of 10.6% in emerging markets, surpassing the group-wide growth rate of 9.1%.
The global nutrition division of Unilever also experienced robust USG at 10.4%. In the same six-month period, Unilever’s total worldwide turnover reached US$32.6 billion).
The expansion of the production line in Poznań aligns with Unilever’s strong focus on sustainability. The company is committed to optimizing energy and water consumption in its operations to minimize its environmental footprint.
“Our Poznań factory is one of the largest food production plants in Unilever. Thanks to further investments, we will be able to respond even more effectively to the needs of our customers and continue to develop our business,” Przemysław Fejfer, Director of the Poznań factory, said.
Unilever’s investment in the Poznań factory marks a significant step toward meeting the surging demand for its ramen noodles brands while reaffirming its commitment to sustainability and operational excellence in the European market.
However, Unilever has faced criticism for its continued operations in Russia, particularly in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In July, Unilever was added to Ukraine’s National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NACP) international sponsors of war list, alongside FMCG peer Mondelez International, while PepsiCo and Mars were added to the list more recently.
For all the latest food industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
