Barry Callebaut, one of the global leaders in chocolate and cocoa production, has announced plans to expand its presence in North America with the unveiling of a new factory in Ontario, Canada.
The project marks the largest ever capital investment by the Barry Callebaut Group in the Region – projected to cost USD $104 million over a period of 10 years. The factory is estimated to have an initial annual capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes of liquid and molded chocolate production and generate over 200 jobs to staff the new facility.
The Group states that the Ontario factory will focus primarily on manufacturing speciality products, including sugar-free and high protein chocolates. Citing the IRI, the company states that the US speciality chocolate market grew by +5.9% in 2021, which explains their decision to centre the new factory around the emerging market trends.
Consumers are searching for healthier and tasty solutions for the foods they love. ‘Free from’ foods like sugar-free or dairy-free are healthier options that also satisfy the indulgence they are craving. Through the addition of a sugar-free facility, Barry Callebaut is positioning itself to be the leader in ‘Better for You’ offerings for our customers, which include a wide range of low- and sugar-free solutions.
President of the Region Americas of Barry Callebaut.
The new factory is expected to be operational by 2024 and will be the latest addition to the 15 chocolate and cocoa processing facilities owned by Barry Callebaut across the Americas Region.
