Nestlé expands Turku baby food production as Russia exports end

Nestlé stopped exporting baby food from its Turku factory to Russia and Ukraine in September, while investing about 15 million euros in a new production line that will increase the factory’s capacity by around 50 percent, Yle reports.

The exports consisted of glass jars of baby food for children aged four to five months and accounted for less than a tenth of the factory’s production. Nestlé Finland chief executive Niina Koskinen said the decision to end them was made by the company group and was unrelated to the investment.

“No baby food is currently going from here to Russia, and the new pouch format will not be exported there either,” Koskinen said at the opening of the line. She added that baby food had never been subject to sanctions.

The new line will add tear-open stand-up pouches and capped portion pouches to the Piltti glass jars. The new products are expected to reach shops next spring. The pouches will complement, not replace, the jars.

The factory currently produces more than 40 million jars of Piltti baby food a year. The investment is not expected to create new jobs; the line will be operated by existing staff. The Turku factory has produced baby food since 1952.

Nestlé has been among the few large international companies to continue operating in Russia since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.