Fonterra has announced the opening of a A$6m plant at its Stanhope site in Australia, dedicated to producing its Perfect Italiano ricotta.

The Stanhope facility produces a range of cheese products for domestic and export markets, and collects 340 million litres of milk annually from roughly 260 suppliers in the region.

Judith Swales, MD of Fonterra’s Australian arm, said the investment brought the firm one step closer to having “the most competitive and sustainable dairy supply chain in Australia”.

“Perfect Italiano ricotta is the number one brand in Australia and its popularity will only increase as Australians continue to use ricotta more and more. This investment will future-proof the Stanhope site and help us continue to build on the success of the Perfect Italiano brand.”