December 3 (SeeNews) - Bosnian food producer Mladegs Pak is completing the first stage of the construction of a ketchup factory worth 3.5 million euro ($4.3 million), local media reported.
The company is installing the first line for production and packaging of ketchup at the new factory, news portal eKapija.com reported last week.
The new production line's daily capacity will be 100 tonnes of ketchup.
The next phases include the procurement of equipment for new production lines for ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard.
"We have decided to decrease the amount of wrapping material which is hard to recycle, thus deciding to move on to PET materials which can be 100% recycled," eKapija.com quoted a company official as saying.
Moreover, the new equipment should enable the company to stop using additives and preservatives in the production process.
Mladegs Pak employs 180 people, as it plans to engage new workers once the new facility is opened.
It produces 22,000 tonnes of products per year and exports 60% of its products. Apart from ketchup it also produces spices, soups, whipped cream, additives for cakes and pastries, desserts, drinks, fermented food.
($ = 0.8234 euro)