Del Monte unveils food processing plant in India
By IANSTuesday, November 2, 2010
HOSUR - Global branded processed food and beverage major Del Monte Tuesday unveiled its manufacturing plant here for supplying a range of juices and culinary products in a joint venture with Bharti Enterprises.
Set up with an upfront investment of Rs.115 crore, the automated plant will roll out different types of juices, ketchups, sauces, packaged food and pasta for the growing consumer market in the Indian sub-continent.
The plant is located about 40 km from Bangalore in Krishnagiri district on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.
The $380-million Del Monte Pacific Ltd formed the 50:50 joint venture FieldFresh Foods Ltd with Bharti group.
“Eating and consumption habits in India are fast changing with an increasing number of youth and consuming middle class eating out and preferring convenience of carrying food that is custom ready,” Bharti vice-chairman and managing director Rakesh Bharti Mittal told reporters on the occasion.
When fully commissioned in the coming months, the plant will produce 10,000 cases of juices per day in pet bottles, and 15,000 cases per day in cans.
Similarly, the facility will roll out culinary products such as ketchups, sauces, mustard sauce and mayonnaise in glass bottles at the rate of 48 tonnes per day, in squeezy pack 36 tonnes per day, in 10gm sachets 8.4 tonnes per day and in 1000gm packets 12 tonnes per day. About 1,500 kg of mayonnaise will be produced per hour.
