Bakery ingredients supplier Puratos Group said it’s ready to boost its presence in Australia and New Zealand following the acquisition of fruit and patisserie fillings business Melbourne Jam Manufacturing Co.

Puratos said increasing local production was a priority for subsidiary Puratos Australia-New Zealand as it sought to meet growing customer demand for premium Australian-made products.

“We’ve invested strongly in this market for several years now,” Puratos marketing director Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa Peter Deriemaeker said, adding the acquisition would help the brand meet the changing needs of baked goods businesses, including artisan, industrial and supermarket food service operations.

The move comes two months after Belgium-based Puratos Group took over US business Pennant Ingredients, a supplier of specialty bakery products and solutions to quick-service food retailers. Last year, Puratos also acquired Bakery Future Lines, an Italian family-owned company based that specialises in innovating natural yeast and sourdough products.