Bauer Group Opens Plant-Based Production and Innovation Centre in Wasserburg

German dairy company Bauer Group has opened a production and innovation centre for plant-based milk and yoghurt alternatives at its headquarters in Wasserburg am Inn, Bavaria. The site will produce plant-based dairy alternatives using raw materials sourced from farms in the surrounding region, shortening supply chains and reducing transport emissions. The investment is part of a long-term transformation strategy to keep production regionally based, with the company asking its existing supplier farms to add crops such as soya to their operations.

Bauer's move into plant-based products follows a trend among established German and Austrian dairy processors, with companies like Ehrmann, Zott, and Berchtesgadener Land also launching plant-based lines. The expansion at the Wasserburg site will safeguard existing jobs and create new ones, with a focus on supporting the region and partners. Germany remains the largest market for plant-based food in Europe, and domestic production of plant-based bases like oat and soya has increased in response to retailer demand for local sourcing.