CANADA—Les Aliments Dainty Foods (Dainty Rice), a prominent Canadian rice producer owned by the Marbour Group, has made the largest capital investment in its history, C$20 million (US$14.6 million) to boost its ready-to-heat rice production capacity.

The investment focuses on adding ready-to-heat production lines at its Windsor, Ontario facility, with an aim to strengthen its position in North America’s expanding market for convenient, quick-cook meals.

The Windsor expansion will allow Dainty to produce 90-second ready-to-heat rice, grains, pulses, and pastas for private label clients across the continent.

The move capitalizes on the growing consumer demand for convenience foods, a trend that has accelerated in recent years, driven by busy lifestyles and an increased focus on healthy, easy-to-prepare meal options.

Dainty’s new production lines come with sustainability benefits, contributing to a significant reduction in the company’s carbon footprint.

The installation of these new lines is expected to reduce emissions by approximately 2,000 tonnes annually.

This aligns with broader industry trends, as food producers worldwide seek to adopt more eco-friendly practices to meet corporate sustainability goals and respond to consumer preferences for low-impact products.

With the capability to produce a wide variety of rice, pulses, grains, and pastas in thousands of recipe combinations, Dainty is poised to meet this rising demand.

Dainty is well-positioned to meet the growing demands of the private label sector across North America,” the company stated.

We have partnered with several private label brands to introduce exciting new flavors and varieties of ready-to-heat rice and pulses. Our production pipeline is filling quickly, and phase two of this initiative is already in progress.”

Phase two of Dainty’s expansion plan is set for completion by early 2025, further enhancing the company’s ability to deliver innovative products to the market.

Private label brands have increasingly become key players in the North American food industry, often challenging traditional brand loyalty by offering competitive pricing and diverse product options.

By leveraging this opportunity, Dainty seeks to carve out a larger share of the market with its diverse offerings of grains, pulses, and rice.

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