Nutrifont, the South American-based joint venture between Irish dairy processor Carbery and BRF Brasil Foods, has opened a whey-processing facility in southern Brazil.

The 70,500 square feet facility will process about 400m litres of whey into speciality protein and lactose ingredients for the emerging Brazilian market.

The whey will be supplied by BRF Brasil foods nearby cheesemaking facility in one of Brazil’s foremost milk producing regions. The added-value nutritional ingredients will be supplied to the sports nutrition, infant formula and bakery sectors. Nutrifont was established early last year, after a €40m investment (€20m each) from Carbery and BRF Brasil Foods.

Carbery chief executive Dan McSweeney said the group had been “actively looking for opportunities in Brazil, while BRF was looking for a partner with a technology like ours”.

Donal Tobin, chairman of Carbery Group, said: “Carbery’s ability to produce high-quality whey protein ingredients locally will strengthen our offerings to the leading brands in Brazil and ensure we are positioned for further growth in a dynamic and upward economic region.”

A number of Carbery employees have relocated to Brazil, to bring their expertise around process technology and quality to the new venture.

This investment represents yet another example of Carbery Group’s increasing internationalization and complements the company’s Synergy Flavours facility in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. It gives the group a strong foothold in this rapidly expanding food market.

BRF, which employs around 115,000 people and has an annual turnover of €10bn, is the second largest milk processor in Brazil.

Together with significant pork and poultry operations, the company has 14 dairy processing sites in Brazil and another in Argentina. It processes in excess of 1.6bn litres of milk per annum.