Del Monte inaugurates its R&D and Manufacturing Facility of Processed Food and Beverage in Hosur
To focus on innovation and product customization to cater to the Indian market
Hosur/ New Delhi, November 2, 2010: FieldFresh Foods today inaugurated a state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing facility at Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The facility will produce processed food and beverage products under the label Del Monte. The commemorative plaque marking the occasion was unveiled by Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises and Joselito D. Campos, Jr, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Del Monte Pacific Ltd. (DMPL).
The inauguration marks a significant milestone for FieldFresh Foods, the JV between Bharti Enterprises and Del Monte Pacific, which was formed in end 2007. Since then, the Del Monte processed food and beverage business has introduced a range of over 68 SKUs ( stock keeping units) and made major inroads in the consumer and institutional markets in India
“The inauguration of the new facility clearly heralds a new phase of development for Brand Del Monte in the processed food and beverages category in India. This investment underlines FieldFresh Foods’ commitment of delivering world class products of great quality and taste for the discerning Indian consumers and raising the standards of the industry. Going forward our vision is to make Del Monte as one of the top 10 brands in the processed food and beverage industry over the next few years”, said Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises.
The facility with an initial investment of over Rs. 115 crores is spread across 21.4 acres and aims to create new benchmarks in the Indian processed food and beverage industry. This manufacturing facility will produce fruit drinks as well as culinary products like ketchups, sauces, mustard sauce and mayonnaise, thus making it the first of its kind in India. Additionally, it will process fruit drinks at the rate of 300 cans and 200 PET bottles per minute and over 4 tons per hour of culinary products. The facility will also have packaging capabilities in squeezy, glass and flexible pack options for all culinary products.
Mr. Joselito D. Campos, Jr, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, DMPL added “India is one of the most exciting consumer markets to be in. Brand Del Monte with its commitment to taste and quality, has had a great journey so far. I am excited about this new chapter of Brand Del Monte’s journey in this country and look forward to the many more milestones in our India story”.
The plant equipments are fully integrated and highly automated resulting in production of consistently high quality products. The state-of-the-art facility is supported by best in class plant infrastructure for power generation and re-distribution, effluent treatment, cold storage, pasteurization and packaging. The products remain untouched by human hands during a large part of the production process.
Mr. Sanjay Nandrajog CEO, FieldFresh Foods elaborated “This facility has been designed as a fully integrated unit, with capabilities ranging from product research to processing and from packaging to warehousing. We are confident that this facility will provide us with the speed to market advantage and the opportunity to create world class offerings that suit the Indian palate”.
Taking the brand promise of Del Monte – ‘Taste. Like Never Before’ forward, this facility will house an R&D facility, online lab and automated monitoring systems. We will focus on developing innovative products catering to consumer requirements. The automated monitoring systems and online lab will allow consistent output with great recipes being transformed into great tasting products.
Apart from producing innovative consumer products, the facility is designed to give brand Del Monte greater flexibility and responsiveness in meeting ever evolving needs of B2B customers like hotels, restaurants and catering clients, airlines and modern retail.
About Del Monte:
Brand Del Monte has 118 years of rich international heritage during which it has been synonymous with quality and taste. The brand originated in the US and is now recognized worldwide. The Del Monte range of branded processed food and beverage products includes Fruit drinks, Ketchup & Sauces, Packaged Fruits and the Italian Range consisting of Pasta, Olive Oil and Olives/Jalapenos and a Culinary range for both B2B and B2C market.
Del Monte was brought to India in 2007 by FieldFresh Foods a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and Del Monte Pacific Ltd. Bharti Enterprises is one of India’s leading business groups with interests in telecom, agri business, financial services, and retail. Del Monte Pacific Ltd, listed in the Singapore Stock Exchange, owns companies that are engaged in the production, marketing, and distribution of Del Monte products in select Asian markets.
For more information please log on to: http://www.fieldfreshfoods.in/ and www.worldfoody.com
For further information, please contact:
Ashok Nagaraj , email: ashok@hanmermsl.com, 9449834080
Radha Roy, email : radha.roy@rediffusionyr.com, 9871556566
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