Nestlé Purina Invests €55 Million to Modernize Italian Pet Food Plant

Nestlé Purina PetCare is investing €55 million through 2029 to modernize its pet food production facility in Portogruaro, Italy, as the 40-year-old site takes on a stronger role in the company's European manufacturing network.

The investment will support upgrades across the facility, with a focus on manufacturing capabilities, operational flexibility and digitalization. Purina said the modernization is designed to support growing demand for super-premium and specialist pet nutrition.

A second part of the project is the construction of a new on-site wastewater treatment plant. The facility currently relies on external plants for wastewater treatment. Bringing the process on site is expected to reduce related transportation requirements while improving operational efficiency.

Established in 1986, the Portogruaro plant produces dry food for dogs and cats, including Purina Pro Plan and Purina One. According to industry reports citing Purina, the facility currently produces more than 130,000 tonnes of pet food annually, and that production capacity is expected to remain unchanged following the investment.

The project will be carried out progressively while production continues. This approach allows Purina to upgrade the existing facility without stopping its manufacturing operations.

The Portogruaro investment is part of a broader expansion of Purina's Italian manufacturing network. In July, Nestlé announced a separate CHF 520 million (€560 million) project in Mantova to build a new integrated facility combining a wet pet food plant and logistics platform. Production at the new Mantova site is expected to begin in 2029.