The 520 million CHF (~£478M) announcement comes as demand for pet food continues to grow, with more and more people becoming pet parents.
Today, across Europe there’s around 111 million cats and 91 million dogs, with the pet food market estimated to be worth close to CHF 30 billion.
Petcare now accounts for 29% of Nestlé sales in Zone Europe and the business says it “continues to deliver strong organic growth led by real internal growth”.
The new Italian factory, which will be based in Mantova, will bring the number of Purina production sites in Europe to 15.
The facility will focus on the production of wet food for dogs and cats, which is one of the fastest-growing segments in pet care. Wet cat food is a particular growth driver, with the segment growing by 8% in Europe in 2025.
“Petcare is one of Nestlé’s four focus businesses, and this investment is a clear signal of our continued growth ambition for the category,” said Rafael Lopez, CEO of Nestlé Purina PetCare Europe.
“Super-premium wet pet food is particularly attractive right now. It offers a variety of textures and sensory experiences combined with great nutrition for dogs and cats, all things that people are looking for as they welcome pets into the heart of their families.”
The new Mantova site will also feature a logistics platform serving Purina as well as other Nestlé brands. This platform is designed to offer retail customers a more efficient service, and will support more sustainable transport flows and strengthen supply chain resilience.
“The new Purina plant for wet pet food and the distribution platform strengthen our presence in Italy and at the heart of European transport corridors, enabling us to serve customers and consumers better and faster,” added Marco Travaglia, president and CEO of Nestlé Italy.
The project will be developed and integrated over the coming years, with production expected to start in 2029. The facility will include a range of environmental measures to reduce emissions, lower logistics-related traffic, save water, and recover energy.
This news follows Nestlé’s announcement earlier this year of a CHF 370 million investment into a new wet pet food factory in Brazil.
Elsewhere, the business is set to close its Diósgyőr chocolate factory in Hungary following a significant drop in demand in recent years. The struggling site manufacturers hollow chocolate figures for Smarties, KitKat and Milky Bar.
