Graham Packaging Company has begun production of polypropylene containers for yoghurt at a new plant in southern France.

Six production lines in the 23,000-square-foot plant are making custom-designed "pots" for a premium yoghurt product that to date has proved to be popular in Western Europe.

The company is investing more than $7 million (€6m) to build the plant and equip it with proprietary technology for high-speed production.

"This plant further demonstrates our commitment to Europe and to expanding partnerships with key strategic customers," Graham Packaging CEO Roger Prevot said. "These containers for spoonable yogurt are a natural line extension for us since they build off of our core technologies."

The opening of the plant means that Graham now has nine blow-moulding plants in Europe - located in Poland, Belgium, Spain, France, Hungary and Turkey. Five of the plants are on site with customers.

Graham Packaging , based in York, Pennsylvania, US, is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of customised blow-moulded plastic containers for the branded food and beverage, household and personal care, and automotive lubricants markets. The company employs approximately 3,900 people at 55 plants throughout North America, Europe and South America. It produced more than nine billion units and had total worldwide net sales of $906.7 million in 2002.