SunOpta International Foods is set to establish a new organic and speciality cocoa facility in Middenmeer, the Netherlands, as part of its efforts to expand its integrated processing capabilities.
The facility will process internationally sourced cocoa beans into cocoa liquor, butter and powder. It will be operated as the Crown of Holland.
SunOpta stated that the plant is being constructed using the environmentally friendly building materials and advanced technologies. It will process organic and speciality cocoa products and provide the capacity to accommodate the company's expanding organic and speciality cocoa processing operations, which are currently handled by third parties.
Testing and commissioning of the new facility is scheduled to commence in the second half of 2013, while the transfer of the company's existing cocoa volume will be completed by July 2013. Once operational, the plant is expected to process approximately 9,000 tons of raw cocoa annually.
SunOpta chief executive officer Steve Bromley said this expansion is in line with the company's strategy of becoming a pure natural and organic foods company, aggressively growing its ingredients and packaged foods portfolio.
"This dedicated organic and specialty cocoa facility adds to our value-added processing capabilities in our International Foods Group and increases our capacity to service this fast growing market segment," Bromley said.
As it will have own processing operations, SunOpta plans to expand its organic and speciality cocoa business and offer certified and speciality cocoa products to the speciality chocolate industry.
SunOpta International Foods president Gerard Versteegh said that the company's own cocoa facility will result in increased control over the business and increase margins, especially when the company increases throughput.
SunOpta, headquartered in Brampton, Canada, specialises in sourcing, processing and packaging of natural and organic food products, integrated from seed through packaged products.
