The company's largest production plant in the Asian region is located in Indonesia and is mainly dedicated to the production of ABC brand products, which occupy a leading position in the country's market.
Kraft Heinz recently invested IDR 1.2 trillion (USD 84 million) in capital expenditure to renovate this facility, install improved process equipment, solar energy systems and wastewater management.
"This development is expected to transform the ABC Indonesia Karawang plant into a world-class plant and be a milestone for us in Indonesia as we pave the way for Indonesia's long-term development," said Kraft Heinz Indonesia-Papua New . Stephen Debrabandere, CEO of Guinea, informed FoodNavigator-Asia .
“This plant upgrade and upgrade will help accelerate the growth of our ABC brand both locally and globally, while infrastructure optimization will increase its total production capacity by more than 174%, from 155 million liters to 425 million liters per year.
"Automation of the ABC soy and chili sauce production lines is also being implemented, as well as advanced production technology such as a fully automated soy-driven fermentation process."
Kraft Heinz has underlined its intention to transform the facility into one of the nation's leading food manufacturing facilities and has also implemented several sustainable development projects to ensure it is aligned with its long-term ESG goals.
David Shaw, director of ESG for the Kraft Heinz International Zone, told FoodNavigator, "From an ESG perspective, this new brand in Karawang, Indonesia is our first Triple Zero production site, which means zero emissions, zero waste and zero water" . Asia
“This site also wants to take the opportunity to test and roll out changes where we can see real new functionality, and doing it from scratch gives you a better chance of getting it right the first time.
“Obviously, we know that there are some challenges in terms of sustainable development in this part of the world, like local supply chains that are not currently set up to respond to efforts like recycling and so on, so development is a bit slower. Don't slow down and we within the business are making changes as well as working on outcomes and transformation across suppliers.
In terms of sustainable operation, the Karawang facility uses renewable energy in the form of solar panels capable of generating 100% electricity during the day; as well as a fully automated wastewater treatment plant for the treatment of wastewater for reuse via reverse osmosis.
Indonesia also helps develop the company's sustainable packaging innovation strategies by focusing on three key areas: plastic recycling, reduction and replacement.
“For example, one of our key projects that we're working a lot on in Indonesia is to eliminate some materials from our portfolio and significantly improve our recycling footprint in the region,” Shaw said.
“We are also aware of the many challenges in developing suitable alternatives in ASEAN's hot and humid climate, so we want to be a pioneer where we have tried and tested some of our packages. we buy more paper bottles in order to encourage more circulation”.
The Karawang plant produces 254 products, including ABC Soy Sauce, ABC Chilli, ABC Liquor, and Ready-to-Drink Products (Mr. Jussie and ABC Soy Milk).
Plans for a plant-based future
While Kraft Heinz isn't primarily a meat- or protein-focused company, with the growing plant-based trend, the company intends to expand in that direction as well.
“Until now, most of our plant substitutes have been dominated by beans; we are considering beans as the next big superfood because beans, legumes, legumes, etc. it's incredibly nutritious and also very good for the planet," Shaw said.
“As you walk into a supermarket or convenience store, there are certain areas of merchandise that aren't based on consumer health or the health of the planet, but we see beans as a great opportunity to drive [potentially] as a meat substitute for both .
“Obviously this is a very new area for us and there have been pilot projects and very small scales so far, but this is a great opportunity for future portfolios; I think we're not alone in thinking that the biggest food companies are seeing this, too. as the main growth direction.
