STORY: Muntons announces £4.5 million investment

Suffolk-based malted ingredient and malt manufacturer, Maltons, has just announced a £4.5million investment in a local plant, to increase its malt extract capacity.

The new 27-metre high building is being constructed on its existing Stowmarket site, and will house a new multi-stage evaporator, which it says "will help boost production by around 15%, by removing production bottle-necks".

Going forward, the existing evaporator will process specialist malt extracts such as ultra-dark malt extracts and enzyme rich diastatic extracts.

Nigel Davies, Muntons' technical and sustainability director says: "It seems that people like malt. Demand for malted ingredients is at an all-time high – good news for us, but also bringing its problems, as every tonne of malt extract made is sold as fast as it is produced."

He adds: “The steady drift towards natural products away from fats and sugar as people embrace a healthier lifestyle coupled with health awareness and obesity has been brought into sharp focus through a succession of high-profile media exposés. This has triggered the introduction of traffic lights on packaging, targeted reductions in sugar and fat and has also steered manufacturers towards ‘better-for-you’ products generally, as consumers seek healthier alternatives.”

Muntons are looking to recruit five more production operatives over the course of the next few months.