Nestlé New Zealand has unveiled a multimillion-dollar facility that will expand availability of gluten-free products in New Zealand and create new export opportunities for Maggi and Docello food service brands.
The new facility, at Nestlé’s Cambria Park factory in South Auckland, was created in response to surging demand for gluten-free products in New Zealand and the region. One in 70 New Zealanders has been diagnosed with celiac disease, Nestlé said in a news release.
The New Zealand facility’s annual exports are expected to increase from $60 million, as the expanded capacity, backed by robust quality assurance systems, give confidence in true gluten-free offerings. However, Nestlé New Zealand CEO Veronique Cremades says the investment goes beyond the factory alone.
“Our international research and development program now allow us to create high-quality gluten-free products that taste great and maintain texture,” she says. “Gluten free no longer means compromise.
“Careful product development means a wide range of products will be made gluten free, including a selection of Maggi products sold in supermarkets for at-home use and a wide range of Maggi flavour boosters, recipe bases, gravies, sauces, soups and Nestlé Docello dessert mixtures used in professional food service,” Cremades continued.
Eleni Gonzalez, Nestlé professional country manager, says gluten-free products are increasingly sought after in the hospitality sector.
“Given the need for some people to eliminate particular foods or ingredients, together with an increase in other dietary preferences, food service and dining out of home has become more complex,” she says. “The chefs who are our customers tell us that a wider gluten-free range will remove the need for special menu items, saving money and time.”
Nestlé’s Cambria Park opened in 1962. The factory produces Maggi and Nestlé Docello culinary products for home and food service, as well as a number of confectionery products.
