Processing of raw milk into drinking milk, condensed milk, cream, cheese and whey products at sites in Germany and the Netherlands.
Hochwald Foods GmbH
Thalfang · Mechernich · Hünfeld · Hungen · Kaiserslautern · Weiding (DE) · Bolsward (NL)New on Amplifa
About Hochwald Foods
Hochwald Foods GmbH is the operating subsidiary of the cooperative Hochwald Milch eG, headquartered in Thalfang (Hunsrück). The company processes more than 2 billion kg of raw milk annually into drinking milk, condensed milk, cream, quark, butter, milk-based mixed drinks, pasta filata cheese and ingredients for the food industry as well as the baby and infant food industry. Production takes place at the German sites of Thalfang, Mechernich, Hünfeld, Hungen, Kaiserslautern and Weiding as well as in Bolsward (Netherlands); the milk catchment area covers Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Saarland, parts of Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia as well as areas in Lorraine, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The processes include gentle pasteurization, ultra-high-temperature treatment (UHT milk), condensed milk production in cans, soft packs, glass bottles and portion packs, pasta filata cheese production and spray drying of whey. Customers include food retail, the processing industry, frozen pizza manufacturers and foodservice; around one third of revenue is generated by exports to over 100 countries.
- Site
- Thalfang
- Processes
- Condensed milk production (can, soft pack, glass bottle, jug, portion pack), Production of pasta filata (stretched-curd cheese: mozzarella, kashkaval, caciottino), Drinking milk production by gentle pasteurization (fresh milk), Drinking milk production by ultra-high-temperature treatment (UHT milk), Cream production (whipping cream, spray cream, sterilized cream, sour cream), Butter production, Production of milk-based mixed drinks (coffee, chocolate, vanilla, fruit flavors), Production of ingredients for the food industry as well as the baby and infant food industry (among
- Materials
- Cow's milk / raw milk, Whey
- Certificates
- EU identification mark (official approval)
- Founded
- 1932
- Industries
- Dairy/food, Food retail, Food industry, Baby and infant food industry, Foodservice
- 01
Raw milk delivery from the cooperative's milk catchment area
- 02
Milk intake and processing (pasteurization, ultra-high-temperature treatment,
- 03
Filling and packaging in cans, soft packs, glass bottles, cups and
- 04
Storage (including the Mechernich high-bay warehouse with 50,000 storage slots)
- 05
Distribution as private labels, retailer brands and export to over 100 countries
Raw Materials and Processes
Cow's milk / raw milk
Basic raw material of the entire product range from drinking milk to condensed milk and cheese to ingredients, sourced from around 2,300 milk suppliers (1,200 at the Mechernich site alone).
Whey
Is processed in the drying plants into demineralized whey powder and supplied as an ingredient for the food industry as well as the baby and infant food industry.
Sites
Thalfang
DEHeadquarters and dairy plant
- Materials
- Raw milk
Mechernich
DEProduction site for UHT milk, UHT cream, UHT milk-mixed products and condensed milk; 250 employees, 21.5 ha site.
- Lot size
- up to 1.4 billion packages/year
- Materials
- Raw milk
- 17 filling lines (with option to expand)
- 100 tanks
- High-bay warehouse with 50,000 storage slots
- CHP unit with 3.4 MW (40–50 % of total demand)
- Complete milk processing technology from GEA
Hünfeld
DECheese plant and drying plant (demineralized whey powder)
- Materials
- Raw milk, whey
- Drying plant (since 2016)
Hungen
DEDairy plant and drying plant
- Materials
- Raw milk
Kaiserslautern
DEProduction site (closure announced for September 2026)
- Materials
- Raw milk
Weiding
DEDrying plant
- Materials
- Raw milk, whey
Bolsward
NLProduction site (since 2006)
- Materials
- Raw milk
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Condensed milk production (can, soft pack, glass bottle, jug, portion pack)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Cow's milk |
| Production of pasta filata (stretched-curd cheese: mozzarella, kashkaval, caciottino)Plastic | – | – | – | – | Cow's milk |
| Drinking milk production by gentle pasteurization (fresh milk)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Cow's milk |
| Drinking milk production by ultra-high-temperature treatment (UHT milk)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Cow's milk |
| Cream production (whipping cream, spray cream, sterilized cream, sour cream)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Cow's milk, Cream |
| Butter productionPlastic | – | – | – | – | Cow's milk, Cream |
| Production of milk-based mixed drinks (coffee, chocolate, vanilla, fruit flavors)Plastic | – | – | – | – | Cow's milk |
| Production of ingredients for the food industry as well as the baby and infant food industry (amongEngineering | – | – | – | – | Cow's milk, Whey |
| Quark production (culinary quark, fat-free, 20%, 40%)Plastic | – | – | – | – | Cow's milk |
| Filling/packaging in cans, soft packs, glass bottles, cups and portion packsPlastic | – | – | – | – | Cow's milk |
| Processing of raw milk into milk products (dairy operation, up to 800 million kg of milk/year atEngineering | – | – | – | – | Raw milk |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filling lines | – | 17 (with | – | – | Mechernich |
| Tanks | – | 100 | – | – | Mechernich |
| High-bay warehouse | – | 1 | 50,000 storage slots | – | Mechernich |
| CHP unit (on-site power generation) | – | 1 | 3.4 MW (40-50 % of total demand) | – | Mechernich |
| Milk processing technology (process engineering) | GEA | – | complete milk processing technology | – | Mechernich |
| Drying plant (production of demineralized whey powder) | – | – | – | 2016 | Hünfeld |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
Every site bears the legally required EU identification mark (DE or NL with official approval number), which ensures traceability of the production operation. The supplying farms commit, as part of the QM++ animal welfare program (QM-Milch e.V.), to criteria such as GMO-free feed, freedom of movement for the animals and regular unannounced control audits.
| Evidence | Thalfang | Mechernich | Hünfeld | Hungen | Kaiserslautern | Weiding | Bolsward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU identification mark (official approval) |
History
- 1932
Founding of the cooperative Erbeskopf eG in Thalfang; started with butter production
- 1950er
Start of canned milk exports abroad
- 1953
Transfer of business operations to the subsidiary Hochwald-Milchwerke GmbH; cannery for condensed milk in Thalfang
- 1968
The export brand Bonny has been present in the Arab market since 1968
- 1986
Merger with Pfalzmilch eG; acquisition of a plant in Kaiserslautern
- 2001
Merger with Eifelperle Milch eG and renaming to Erbeskopf Eifelperle eG; merger with Milchwerke am Burgwald eG
- 2003
Acquisition of Allgäuer Alpenmilch GmbH from Nestlé including the Bärenmarke and Glücksklee brands as well as the Lüneburg dairy with the Lünebest brand
- 2005
Merger with Starmilch eG Fulda; the Hünfeld and Hungen plants join the company
- 2006
Acquisition of a dairy operation in Bolsward (NL) and the export brand Bonny from Nestlé
- 2012
Renaming to Hochwald Milch eG and Hochwald Foods GmbH; founding of AHL Distribution S.A. and Hochwald Foods DMCC (Dubai)
- 2016
Opening of a drying plant in Hünfeld; final exit from the meat industry
- 2019
Groundbreaking for the new plant in Mechernich
- 2022
Commissioning of the Mechernich dairy following an investment of 200 million euros
- 2026
Sale of the Lüneburg site to the Theo Müller Group; announced closure of the Kaiserslautern site