Synlait Milk has become a registered manufacturer of retail-ready infant milk formula for export to China.

The Canterbury company announced on September 30 it had received approval from the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China.

Managing director John Penno said the latest registration was a major milestone for the business. It added to its registration as a manufacturer of general dairy products and infant formula base powders for export to China, granted in May.

”Being able to manufacture and export high-quality finished infant formula products to China will help Synlait Milk deliver on its value-added strategy, and provides an important confidence boost for our China business where we see significant opportunity for future earnings,” Dr Penno said.

Synlait had applied for registration after the Ministry for Primary Industries approved the risk management programme for its dry blending and consumer packaging plant.

The plant could process 30,000 metric tonnes a year at the rate of 110 cans a minute. That made it ”a cost-competitive solution for large-volume customers”, the company said.

”It was our intention to build the best plant of its type in the southern hemisphere, particularly in terms of operating efficiency and product quality standards, and feedback from our multinational customers who refer to the plant as `next generation’ affirms our goal,” Dr Penno said.

”We now have an integrated facility on one site in Canterbury, New Zealand that gives us full manufacturing and packaging control, and delivers on the needs of our infant formula customers for a complete, integrated supply chain solution, from raw milk sourcing and collection through to manufacturing and retail packaging.”

Automation reduced physical handling of product, and a purpose-built, in-process laboratory inspected every can processed.

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