Nestlé Purina is boosting its pet food production capacity with a new CHF520 million (AU$913m) pet food plant and logistics platform in Mantova, Italy, as the company looks to meet continued demand growth for pet food. The plant will produce its premium wet pet food for cats and dogs, for key Purina brands. The investment will bring the number of Purina production sites in Europe to 15, serving a total population of around 111 million cats and around 91 million dogs across Europe. Rafael Lopez, CEO of Nestlé Purina PetCare Europe, said: “Petcare 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.”