Milk Specialties acquires extruded protein facility for snacks, meat alternatives

Photo of Milk Specialties Global's new Clara City, MN, facility.

Protein and nutritional ingredients supplier Milk Specialties Global (Eden Prairie, MN) has acquired a Minnesota processing facility as part of the company’s plan to expand its protein extrusion business. The company will use the facility to meet demand for extruded protein products that are used in a variety of applications, including snacks and meat alternatives.

The 96,000-sq-ft facility, located in Clara City, MN, is certified gluten free and was acquired from food manufacturer Kay’s Processing. Milk Specialties also acquired the Kay’s Naturals consumer brand.

Milk Specialties has been active on the acquisition front. The company’s press release states: “The newly named Milk Specialties Global Clara City Facility is MSG’s 11^th plant and the latest in a series of strategic acquisitions and expansions that began in 2008. Most recently, in 2020, the company doubled its lactose production following expansion of its west coast processing facility in Visalia, CA. Earlier this year, MSG completed a capital improvement project at its Fond Du Lac, WI, facility to begin production of lactoferrin, signaling the launch of its NutriPro line of products focusing on the health benefits of whey protein.”

The company’s vice president of extrusion technology, Jim Fischer, added, “There is a lot of potential to ramp up production and increase capacity at our new Clara City facility, including more co-manufacturing.”