Philippines-based food and beverage leader, Monde Nissin, has received approval to establish an automated biscuit production facility in its home market.
Monde Nissin, known for popular brands such as Lucky Me noodles, SkyFlakes crackers, and the UK-based plant-based company Quorn, plans to invest 1.2 billion pesos (approximately $21.3 million) in this project. The authorization, granted by the country’s Board of Investments (BOI) on July 25, will enable the Davao City facility to manufacture the company’s Blue Coconut Biscuits.
Despite the automation of the production process, Monde Nissin emphasized that this initiative will create 111 full-time job opportunities. The company stated, “Except for the manual preparation of raw materials, the whole butter coconut biscuits production and packaging of finished goods is fully mechanized, utilizing advanced and market-relevant technologies.”
Additionally, Monde Nissin shared that packaging at its existing facility in Laguna has transitioned from manual to automated processes for the finished goods. This shift will necessitate the hiring of highly skilled local workers to manage the advanced automation technologies involved in production and packaging.
The biscuits produced at this new facility will initially cater to the domestic market, with potential plans to expand distribution to Indonesia and other neighboring Southeast Asian countries. This project aligns seamlessly with the increasing digitization trends within the food and beverage industry, further supporting the Philippine government’s initiatives for modernization in the manufacturing sector.
In a recent update, Monde Nissin reported ongoing challenges within the meat-alternatives sector, but the company indicated that its sales decline in the second quarter was less severe. Notably, while the business faced mixed results during the three months ending June 30, it did observe a rebound in gross profits and margins alongside a widening of EBITDA and net losses. However, the Asia Pacific Branded Food and Beverage segment reported a 5.7% rise in comparable sales, reaching 16.46 billion pesos.
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