European dairy and food group Müller has announced plans to close its sauce manufacturing facility in Rogätz, Germany, by the end of September 2027, placing approximately 160 jobs at risk.
In a separate move, the company confirmed it will shut down the sliced cheese division at its major processing hub in Leppersdorf on 31 December 2026. The planned rationalisation follows comprehensive internal reviews into the long-term economic viability and cost structures of both operations.
The group stated that acid curd cheese dairy and mozzarella production at the Leppersdorf complex will remain unaffected by the restructuring.
Economic Viability and Packaging Formats at Rogätz
The planned closure of the Rogätz facility concludes a prolonged assessment of the site's operating margins and capital expenditure requirements.
Acquired in 2008 alongside Hamker by Homann Feinkost—which subsequently integrated into the Müller Group in 2011—the Rogätz plant manufactures ambient sauces and dressings. Müller reported that structural efficiency measures implemented across the facility failed to establish sustainable commercial competitiveness, while the ageing infrastructure would require substantial capital investment to modernise.
The group also cited long-term shifts in packaging consumption as a key factor eroding the site's operational performance. Consumer demand for table sauces packed in traditional glass jars has declined steadily in favour of alternative packaging architectures, such as squeezy plastic bottles and pouches. This format migration resulted in sustained underutilisation of the site's glass-packaging lines, exacerbating fixed overheads and unit manufacturing costs.
"A comprehensive economic analysis has shown that the Rogätz production site has no prospect of recovering from its current loss-making situation and returning to long-term profitability," said Marcus-Dominic Hauck, Managing Director of Müller's sauces and dressings business unit.
"We are aware that this decision will cause consternation amongst our staff. We will be holding discussions with the works council in the near future, with the aim of finding socially responsible solutions."
Leppersdorf Sliced Cheese Division
Alongside the Rogätz closure, Müller will cease operations across its dedicated sliced cheese business at Leppersdorf at the end of 2026.
The shutdown encompasses:
Processing Lines: Complete cessation of sliced cheese processing and curd conversion equipment.
Packaging Facilities: Decommissioning of dedicated primary and secondary cheese-slicing packaging operations.
Administrative Functions: Phased wind-down of division-specific commercial and administrative support roles.
Despite evaluating strategic alternatives, the company determined that the sliced cheese operation could not achieve sustainable profitability under prevailing dairy commodity conditions and processing margins.
Müller clarified that core dairy infrastructure at Leppersdorf, notably its industrial mozzarella and acid curd cheese manufacturing lines, will continue standard production workflows.
Workforce Consultations and Frameworks
Müller confirmed that corporate leadership has entered formal discussions with local works councils across both manufacturing locations to establish social support measures for affected personnel.
At the Leppersdorf site, the business is collaborating with employee representatives on redeployment pathways, including:
Internal Redeployment: Facilitating transfers into alternative production, processing, or logistics roles within the wider Leppersdorf dairy complex.
Contractual Adjustments: Tailoring terms to support employees transitioning to other facilities across the group's German manufacturing network.
Retraining and Skills Development: Providing targeted professional education and technical upskilling programmes to assist workers in securing future employment.
Consultations regarding the 160 employees affected at the Rogätz sauce facility will begin shortly, focusing on severance agreements and socially responsible solutions ahead of the planned September 2027 operational sunset.
