Finnish food company Raisio is investing an estimated €45 million (US$50.9 million) in a new production facility specializing in the development and manufacturing of plant-based, value-added products. The facility will be built in the company’s “carbon-neutral” industrial area in Raisio, Finland. The new plant, which can be expanded and modified as necessary, will specialize in a variety of oat- and plant-based value-added products. In addition, the investment also enables the manufacturing of eco-friendly packages, in line with Raisios responsibility program, notes the company.

Raisio estimates that the first products made in the new factory will become available in stores in 2021.

“This investment is the biggest one in organic growth for Raisio in decades and one of the most robust in the Finnish food sector lately,” says Pekka Kuusniemi, President and CEO of Raisio. “The development of the market for responsibly produced plant-based food is only beginning. Inspired by consumer insight, our special expertise and strong brands, we will develop new plant-based products.”

In line with its development strategy, Raisio is continuing to invest in the growth of the leading, international cholesterol-lowering Benecol brand. The company is also looking to establish a “European business based on the company’s strong oat expertise and plant-based food.” Details of these developments have not been outlined as of yet, however, FoodIngredientsFirst has reached out to the company for further comment.

Oats are enjoying a renaissance, thriving on both their heart health benefits and gluten-free potential. In March, FoodIngredientsFirst reported how Raisio had entered into an agreement to form a strategic alliance with Italian company Dr. Schär AG, a global food company specializing in gluten-free foods.

The Raisio announcement also comes at a time when oats are in the spotlight following a new initiative, aimed at promoting oat consumption and boosting the export potential for high-quality oat products made by the Finnish food industry, gets underway. As a nutritional, sustainable ingredient, oats and oat-based products hold significant global potential – and now thanks to the OatHow project, headway could be made to bring oats further to the fore.

Finland is one of the world’s largest oats producers with oats consumption per capita around 7.3 kg, according to OatHow. Moreover, the consumption of oats is increasing by approximately 10 percent a year. The health-promoting properties of this ingredient are well-known in the country and oats are applied to a diverse range of uses, particularly as a raw material for innovative food products.