Leprino Foods to open new cheese plant in US

Leprino Foods, the US-based producer of mozzarella, cheese blends and pizza cheese, is set to open a $200m cheese plant in Greeley, Colorado, US, in November.

Once fully operational, the plant will process 7Mlb of milk a day and produce over 700,000lb of cheese a day, including mozzarella, reduced-fat Monterey jack, provolone, reduced-fat cheddar and various cheese blends.

The plant will be launched in three phases – phase one will see the productio of non-fat dry milk, and phase two and three will introduce the production of dairy ingredients.

Leprino Foods said that it is working with dairy marketing cooperatives to ensure it has enough milk supply to meet future demand, and the company expects 60,000 to 80,000 dairy cattle to be added to existing dairy herds in the Northern Colorado region.

Leprino Foods produces mozzarella cheese, cheese blends and pizza cheese for pizzeria and food service operators, frozen food manufacturers and private-label cheese packagers.