Asian group Lotte has plans to expand the production capacity of Polish confectionery manufacturer Wedel by investing over €200m into the company, according to a Polish media outlet. The funds will go towards the construction of five new plants in Poland, reports Rzeczpospolita, citing unofficial sources. The article notes that Lotte will make a preliminary investment of €70m with the remainder of the financing to be phased in.

The Japanese-Korean giant has publically stated its intention to increase its share of global confectionery sales by 20 per cent in the next few years. July saw Lotte acquiring the Wedel business in Poland from Kraft Foods, which it has been forced to sell under European Commission competition rules following its takeover of Cadbury. And Lotte revealed previously that Wedel was critical to its strategy in Europe and that it planned to diversify the company to extend its product range including chewing gum.