Kerry Group continues its expansion in the Middle East and opens new state of the art facility at its Jeddah operation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Middle East - English

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Jan 28, 2022, 09:22 ET

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kerry, the world's leading taste and nutrition company, has officially opened a new 21,500-square-foot state of the art facility at its Jeddah operation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company has invested over €80m in the region over the past four years and this new facility, which is Kerry's largest in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) region, is one of the most modern and efficient in the world and will produce great tasting, nutritious and sustainable food ingredients which will be distributed across the Middle East.

Through the new facility, which currently employs 130 people, Kerry will utilise its global innovation technologies that are adapted to local tastes to help food and beverage companies meet the growing consumer demand in the region for healthier, tastier and more sustainable food and beverages, particularly in snack, meat and bakery sectors.

Commenting on the announcement, Edmond Scanlon, Chief Executive of Kerry Group, said: "Today's consumer-led food revolution and the world's environmental challenges are driving accelerated change and reshaping the entire food industry. The opening of our new facility at our Jeddah site is part of our commitment to continuing to grow our presence across the Middle East where we have invested over €80m since 2018. Our continued growth and investment reflect the growing number of consumers in the region who are adopting a more proactive approach to their health and wellbeing and want to be able to consume food and beverage products that support their goals while also being respectful of our environment. This new facility is the first of its kind in the Middle East and is one of the most modern and efficient in the world offering top-in-class sustainable nutrition technology platforms, laboratories equipped with unique testing capabilities while also being sustainable."

Peter Dillane, Vice President and General Manager, Kerry Middle East, India, Sub-Saharan Africa (MISA) added: "Our customers are our priority, and our commitment is to bring local solutions to the Saudi market. We believe in global capability, executed locally, as seen in our local insight and team backed by Kerry's global technical and operational expertise. Our deep understanding of retail and foodservice channels enhances our ability to partner customers with greater success and make it easier and more valuable for them to do business with us."

As part of Kerry's Beyond the Horizon sustainability commitment, the new facility is also making an important environmental difference. Since 2018, the factory carbon footprint has been reduced by 35% and there has been a 40% reduction in water usage. Food safety is paramount and the new facility was built on state-of-the-art Ready To Eat (RTE) standard of design and construction to uphold the strictest customer requirements for hygiene and food safety. Its stringent humidity and temperature-controlled environment ensures all materials are always fresh and ready to use anytime. The facility is FSSC 22000, HACCP, ISO 22000 and AIBI certified.

About Kerry Group

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition partner for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets. We innovate with our customers to create great tasting products, with improved nutrition and functionality, while ensuring better impact for the planet. Our leading consumer insights, global RD&A team of 1,100+ food scientists and extensive global footprint enable us to solve our customers complex challenges with differentiated solutions. At Kerry, we are driven to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition, and will reach over 2 billion consumers with sustainable nutrition solutions by 2030. Kerry currently employs 133 people from 16 nationalities in Jeddah. Kerry is committed to increase the number of local employees and on building the Saudi talent pipeline in technical fields like engineering and production through establishing partnerships with the Kingdom's top universities. For more information, visit www.kerrygroup.com.

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SOURCE Kerry Group