Nestlé Purina invests CHF520M in Italian pet nutrition facility amid booming EU demand
Key takeaways
- Nestlé is investing CHF520 million (US$641.9 million) in a new Purina wet pet food facility and logistics platform in Mantova, Italy, with production planned for 2029.
- The plant will manufacture super-premium wet food for European cats and dogs, expanding Purina’s regional manufacturing network to 15 sites.
- The investment targets rising pet nutrition demand while improving logistics efficiency, supply resilience, emissions reduction, energy recovery, and water conservation.
Nestlé has announced a CHF520 million (US$641.9 million) investment in a pet food plant in Mantova, Italy. The facility will start manufacturing super-premium wet foods for cats and dogs in 2029 to meet growing demand for pet food across Europe.
The new facility will combine a wet food plant and a logistics platform for Purina and other Nestlé brands. It will have the capacity to serve approximately 111 million cats and 91 million dogs in Europe. This plant brings Purina’s Europe sites to 15.
Nestlé details that pet care accounts for 29% of its sales in Europe and continues to deliver organic growth, “led by real internal growth.”
“Pet care is one of Nestlé’s four focus businesses, and this investment is a clear signal of our continued growth ambition for the category. Super-premium wet pet food is particularly attractive right now,” says Rafael Lopez, CEO of Nestlé Purina PetCare Europe.
“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.”
Booming demand for pet nutrition
Nestlé says that the pet population has shown a strong growth in recent years, and owners are spending more money on their pets. Pet food accounts for 21% of the group’s global sales.
Nestlé says that the pet population has shown a strong growth in recent years, and owners are spending more money on their pets.Wet food, in particular, is one of the fastest-growing segments, especially for cat food, which saw an 8% growth in 2025.
Nutrition Insight recently spoke with industry experts who detailed that the pet nutrition market is expanding into targeted solutions in gut health, cognition, and mobility. Evidence-backed ingredients and sustainability are also shaping the sector, while research and market gaps in species-specific innovations remain.
The new logistics platform at the plant will provide efficiency in serving retail customers, sustainable transport flows, and supply resilience, says Nestlé.
“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,” comments Marco Travaglia, president and CEO of Nestlé Italy.
The facility will include measures for environmental sustainability, such as reduced emissions, lower logistics-related traffic, energy recovery, and water saving.
Earlier this year, Nestlé Purina launched a new factory in Vargeão, Brazil. The site supplies exports while also meeting growing local demand, which the company notes is one of the largest global pet food markets, with around 110 million pets.
