German dairy products producer Müller has completed its £50m ($62.2m) expansion project to build a chilled yoghurt manufacturing facility in Telford, UK.

The expansion, which created nearly 65 jobs in the area, enables Müller to produce 500 million pots a year.

Müller said that the expansion is part of its strategy to meet the rising demand for branded and private label yoghurts made with milk sourced from British farms.

The expansion project, which has doubled the company’s current Telford site, has increased Müller’s capacity to make products in formats including big pots, split pots and regular fruited yoghurts.

The project includes the installation of three advanced production lines, as well as modernisation of three existing lines. It has the potential to increase production at the site to 700 million pots.

An energy-efficient cooling facility and a new automated high bay warehouse were also installed.

Müller Yogurt & Desserts managing director Bergen Merey said: “This is a major step towards reducing the UK’s dependence on imported yoghurt products, and it gives us a significant competitive advantage.

“We intend to leverage our greater capabilities to support the growth of our private label business whilst we continue to innovate and drive our core branded products like Müllerlight and Müller Corner.

“Yogurt is at the heart of the dairy category, with consumers asking for a wide range of delicious branded and private label yoghurts that are made with their needs in mind, offering everyday dairy goodness, indulgence, protein, lactose-free, natural, fat-free and reduced or zero added sugar.”

The company has major UK manufacturing sites in Market Drayton and Minsterley.