In addition to the new 546,000 square-foot Taicang facility, which will have the capacity to produce 150,000 tonnes of Ecolab products each year, Ecolab operates plants in Nanjing, Suzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Taiwan.
The firm, which has had a presence in China since 1987, has invested $150m in the Chinese market since 2008 – including $15m on the Taicang plant.
Ecolab spokesman Roman Blahowski told FoodProductionDaily.com that investment shows the company’s continued commitment to food safety in the country.
Chinese demand
“It is one of five we now have in China,” said Blahowski. “This new state-of-the-art facility will help us to meet current and future demand in China.”
“Ecolab is a big player in food safety in China. We work with the government to help ensure the safety of food being manufactured in China. Food safety is big for us.”
Earlier this year, the Chinese government published its Twelfth Five Year Plan for food safety – highlighting its continued focus on improving food quality and ensuring the safety of food.
Under the strategy, which was launched in June 2012, 269 new national food safety standards will be enacted. Areas such as dairy, packaging and controlling mycotoxin levels are among several that have been given priority under the plan.
According to Ecolab, the new plant represents its continued commitment and providing innovative products and services to support food safety and public health in China.
“The five year plan does stress food safety, which is a big role we already play in the country. We will produce some food safety products at the new facility,” said Blahowski.
“We have nothing further to announce in China at this time, but the country is a big area of focus for us in the future and this facility is a good example of that,”he added.
Chinese products
The Taicang plant will be capable of manufacturing all of the Ecolab products sold in China, including a wide range of cleaning and sanitations solutions for customers in dairy, meat and poultry processing and food and beverage production.
The plant will initially employ 55 employees, but by 2017 more than 350 people will work at the facility, Ecolab has revealed.
