Tokoroa dairy plant OFI plans next phase to specialise in high-protein products

The OFI dairy processing plant in Tokoroa is taking shape.

The OFI (Olam Food Ingredients) dairy plant in Tokoroa is moving into its next phase, as the company plans to specialise in protein-based dairy ingredients used in sports nutrition.

The plant has been in the pipeline since 2021 and its first stage, a spray-dryer facility, is set to open later this year.

Operations Director for OFI New Zealand, Paul Rennie, says the company always intended to add different facilities to the plant over time, and the new investment will help OFI to “grow the value of our milk”.

“When construction of the current dryer is complete, our aim is to enhance its capability so we can produce specialised protein ingredients with a higher value, in addition to whole milk powder,” Rennie says.

Protein concentrates are typically used in sports and adult nutrition and a range of food and beverage applications, such as high-protein beverages and energy snack bars.

“Demand for protein-based ingredients is growing, and our customers’ response to this new opportunity to secure specialised ingredients from New Zealand’s high-quality milk pool has been very positive,” Rennie says.

OFI senior vice-president Naval Sabri says the company was looking forward to diversifying the production in Tokoroa.

Olam Food Ingredients NZ operations manager Paul Rennie and milk supply manager Paul Johnson.

“We are excited to be adding more New Zealand-sourced ingredients to our existing product portfolio, and helping our customers turn those ingredients into tasty, nutritious, sustainable and convenient dairy products across many categories,” Sabri says.

OFI (Olam Food Ingredients) is a new operating group born out of Olam International. OFI offers sustainable, natural, value-added food products like cocoa, coffee, dairy products, nuts and spices.

Olam is a Singapore-based food and agri-business supplying food, ingredients, feed and fibre to 17,300 customers worldwide. Its value chain spans over 60 countries and includes farming, processing and distribution operations, as well as a sourcing network of an estimated five million farmers.