Confectionery group Loacker has expanded its hazelnut production portfolio with the acquisition of the Fontana Chiusa estate in Italy.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The transaction covers agricultural facilities, primary processing infrastructure, as well as drying and storage units.

Situated between Labico and Palestrina roughly 20km outside Rome, Fontana Chiusa spans 150 hectares.

Productive groves occupy 125 hectares, yielding an estimated 220 to 230 metric tonnes of in-shell hazelnuts annually, Loacker said.

Combined with 275 hectares farmed in Tuscany, the deal gives Loacker direct management to around 400 hectares.

The company also maintains multi-year alliances with more than 80 growers across Veneto, Umbria, Tuscany and Marche, securing another 1,200 contracted hectares.

Primary processing centres on Capranica in the province of Viterbo. The hub conducts shelling and sorting. From next year, the site will begin processing raw nuts into semi-finished ingredients.

Output will be divided between company plants for internal roasting and external business-to-business clients.

Furlan said: "The Capranica plant serves as the operational link connecting agronomic management with product quality. We process raw materials into premium-grade semi-finished products, serving both Loacker’s internal wafer production and third-party commercial clients seeking high-specification Italian hazelnuts."

Loacker has a “vertical integration” strategy to manage its own supply chain for key ingredients like cocoa, vanilla, milk, and wheat.

Meanwhile, last month, the company announced its investment in Danish start-up Endless Food Co, which produces a chocolate alternative from upcycled ingredients like spent grain from breweries and cacao shells.