Irish dairy board opens dairy innovation plant in UK

The dairy co-operative Irish dairy board (IDB) has opened a €12.7m ($17.55m) dairy ingredients manufacturing centre in Leek, Staffordshire, UK, as a part of its subsidiary Adams Food Ingredients (AFI).

The plant, which includes an innovation centre, will develop customised dairy ingredient solutions aimed at customers in the UK and export markets.

It will double the AFI’s capacity of dairy-based food formulations to over 20,000tpa.

The new facility will apply the most advanced technology in specialist dairy applications to offer customers a wider range of formulations and customised premix solutions, the co-operative claims.

According to IDB, the centre will enhance AFI’s ability to add value to dairy ingredients and provide AFI with a platform upon which more advanced specialist applications can be developed in partnership with food manufacturers.

The facility will replace AFI’s existing operation in Leek and complement IDB’s cheese pre-packaging plant that was commissioned in 2009.