After five years, Nestlé returns to operating in Rio Grande do Sul by resuming control of a whey factory in Carazinho, which has already integrated its operation. For this, R$60 million was invested.
The plant produces the main ingredient for the manufacture of infant formulas and, with the resumption, the company plans to increase production of this ingredient by 15% by 2029in line with its Child Nutrition business in the country.
“The resumption of operations in Carazinho marks an important step forward for Nestlé, as it keeps us even closer to the production of an essential ingredient for infant formulas. The whey produced at the unit is present in around 90% of the Nutrition portfolio manufactured in Brazil and is essential to guarantee the quality of our products. As leaders in the category, we remain committed to offering for each stage of the baby’s life, with formulas developed from the science of breast milk”, says Marcelo Citrangulo, executive director of Nutrition at Nestlé Brazil.
Resumption of activity
The Carazinho unit has already been part of Nestlé’s industrial park in the past. In 2010, the company began producing different dairy items at the complex and implemented an operation dedicated to whey. In 2020, as part of the strategy to focus on higher value-added categories, the company sold the operation, including, temporarily, the licensing of the Ninho and Molico brands for the production of UHT milk.
To resume whey production, the company carried out a series of technical adjustments to the plant — a process comparable to building a new factory, given the technological complexity involved in this type of operation.
The unit once again operates based on infrastructure developed by Nestlé itself over 15 years ago, including proprietary technology that reinforces the company’s industrial know-how and its ability to locally produce critical inputs for essential categories, such as infant nutrition.
