Lactalis Canada unveils new plant-based beverage line at reopened facility

CANADA – Lactalis Canada has officially reopened its facility, unveiling a new product line with six plant-based beverage varieties under the brand name “Enjoy!”

The beverages include oat, almond, and hazelnut options, each with eight grams of protein per serving. The former milk operation has now transitioned to plant-based, with renovations completed at its 33,000-square-foot facility.

The Sudbury facility, which previously served as a distribution and production center for Lactalis fluid milk products (formerly Parmalat), was shut down in September 2022 to allow for the facility’s conversion for producing and distributing Lactalis premium plant-based products.

At the time of the shutdown of the Sudbury milk plant two years ago, the company cited a response to a drop in the demand for fluid milk and an uptick in the market for plant-based beverages.

However, Lactalis stated it would continue operating its refrigerated warehouse in Sudbury as a distribution center and retain most of the workforce.

Company president Mark Taylor emphasized the company’s commitment to maintaining employment levels, noting that 25 jobs were in place in 2022, and these jobs were protected, meaning there are still 25 jobs at the Sudbury plant today.

“Today, we’re proud to continue our legacy here in Sudbury by transforming it into Lactalis. This is Canada’s first dedicated plant-based manufacturing facility and home to our Enjoy! Brand,” Taylor said.

He highlighted that the Sudbury facility is now a state-of-the-art plant and an example of how a leading company such as Lactalis can direct its resources to meet the marketplace’s demands.

“While dairy remains our core business, our expansion into plant-based demonstrates our commitment to being an innovation leader and our dedication to responding to the needs of the market and to what Canadian consumers are telling us,” he said.

The new Enjoy! Plant-based beverages include the following choices: Unsweetened Oat, Unsweetened Oat Vanilla, Unsweetened Almond, Unsweetened Almond Vanilla, Unsweetened Hazelnut, and Unsweetened Hazelnut & Oat.

In a related development, Danone recently inaugurated its newly transformed production facility in Villecomtal-sur-Arros, southwestern France, which has been converted to a plant-based beverage production site.

In a statement, Danone said the transformation took nearly two years and required a capital investment of several million euros. The new site will become a European reference point for producing oat-based drinks for the Alpro brand.

The Villecomtal-sur-Arros plant features two production lines, one operating at high speed. Beverage output is expected to reach over 300,000 liters a day for distribution in France and 26 other European markets, with 90% of total production designated for export.

This development underscores the growing demand and strategic shift towards plant-based products within the dairy industry globally.

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