Nestlé to invest CHF 520 million in new premium pet food plant in Italy
Nestlé will invest CHF 520 million in a new Purina wet pet food plant in Mantua, Italy. The facility is scheduled to begin operations in 2029 and will serve Italy and other European markets.
Nestlé adds wet pet food capacity in Italy
Nestlé will invest CHF 520 million, equivalent to $642.7 million, in a new Purina factory for super-premium wet pet food in Mantua, northern Italy. According to portalspozywczy.pl, construction is expected to begin in late 2026, while full operation and integration of the facility are planned for 2029.
The plant will manufacture wet food for dogs and cats in portion-sized packs. It will be Purina’s fifteenth production facility in Europe and its second in Italy. The Mantua site will also be the company’s first Italian factory dedicated to wet pet food, adding a new product category to Purina’s manufacturing footprint in the country.
European demand supports the investment
Rafael López, chief executive of Nestlé Purina in Europe, said the pet food segment was developing rapidly as consumers placed greater value on product variety, taste and nutritional quality. Wet cat food is expanding particularly quickly, with sales growing at about 8%, according to the report.
The factory is intended to supply both the Italian market and customers across several other European markets. This gives the project a regional production and distribution role rather than limiting it to domestic demand. Nestlé estimates that the investment will create approximately 300 jobs.
Pet care remains a major growth business
Pet care accounts for more than one-fifth of Nestlé’s global sales and generates 29% of its turnover in Europe. The scale of those contributions makes the segment one of the group’s four core business areas and explains the decision to commit substantial capital to additional European capacity.
Nestlé expects further expansion to be supported by growth in the pet population, stronger demand for premium and super-premium products, and the continued premiumisation of wet cat food. López said the investment would increase both production and distribution capacity to meet rising pet food demand across Europe. For manufacturers and suppliers, the project signals continued capacity growth in higher-value prepared pet food. For retailers and distributors, a plant located in northern Italy could broaden regional access to portion-packed products when it becomes operational in 2029.
