Fonterra's Eltham Upgrade to Meet Global Cheese Demand

Fonterra’s Eltham site in Taranaki, New Zealand is undergoing a significant upgrade to expand its cheese production. This expansion is driven by a surge in global demand from Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs). The site’s processed cheese line expansion will enable the sale of an additional 200 million cheeseburgers annually. Additionally, a new shift for the Individually Quick-Frozen Mozzarella line will increase the factory’s capacity by 6,000 metric tonnes, enough for over 40 million pizzas a year. Cheese from Eltham is already exported to over 50 countries, mainly to major QSR customers. This strategic move aligns with global trends such as population growth and urbanization, particularly aiming at the Asia-Pacific region, which is projected to grow by 7.5% year-on-year. Hailey Ryan, Fonterra’s General Manager for Global Quick Service Restaurants, cited these trends as key reasons for the upgrade.