INTERNATIONAL fruit producer Del Monte has opened a base on Tyneside, creating 42 jobs.

Del Monte Fresh Produce (UK) has moved into a new 33,000sq ft production and distribution facility on the Team Valley estate in Gateshead.

The company, which has invested a significant sum in the new unit, has started recruiting and needs line and label printing operators as well as forklift drivers and production supervisors.

The new facility is a packing, sorting and distribution centre for bananas to be sold through Asda stores across the UK.

Del Monte, the third largest banana company in the world, grows the fruit on its plantations in Costa Rica and Cameroon.

The Team Valley centre will receive its first shipment of bananas on April 22 and, once in full production, expects to distribute 25,000 boxes of bananas a week, equivalent to 300 tonnes of fruit.

Tyne and Wear Development Company helped to secure the investment and worked with the company to set it up.

It worked with Gateshead Borough Council to find the right premises and is working with other agencies to help in the recruitment programme.

Colin Wainman, project manager for Del Monte Fresh Produce (UK), said: "This investment is part of our ongoing commitment to improving customer service.

"We are using the latest technology to produce the best fresh produce, which we aim to deliver to the customer at a time and place they need."

He added: "The set up has been achieved within a highly demanding time-frame. TWDC has been a great help and saved us a lot of time, by removing potential hassle."

Nick Kemp, investment officer at TWDC, said: "This is a significant investment by a world-class company which is widely recognised for its high quality standards and the value it places on its own people."