In September 1984, Ratu David Toganivalu, who was the deputy prime minister and minister for Economic Planning and Development, inaugurated the Fine Foods (Fiji) Ltd factory located at Wailada Estate in Lami. The Fiji Times reported on September 28 that Ratu David received a traditional Fijian welcome, complete with the presentation of a tabua upon his arrival.
The opening ceremony was attended by around 150 guests, which included local entrepreneurs poised to market Maggi 2-minute noodles across Fiji and other South Pacific nations, as well as representatives from Nestle Australia and CJ Patel.
Following the formalities, guests were divided into groups of seven for a guided tour of the facility. They were shown the immaculate staff room equipped with tea-making facilities and other employee amenities. Hygiene was emphasized, evident in the modern changing rooms featuring showers and toilets.
A key area of interest was the quality control laboratory, where tests were conducted on raw materials and finished goods to guarantee superior quality. The lab was outfitted with an incubator and a hot air oven as part of its essential equipment.
The factory’s service area was powered by an automated diesel engine, which also supported the hot water system. The storage section was filled with sacks of Australian wheat flour and large drums of vegetable oil.
The factory featured advanced machinery, including a 250kg mixer that automatically measured the liquid component of the noodles, which were then processed through a steaming tunnel for complete cooking. The steaming system allowed the noodles to emerge on a conveyor belt in triples, which were subsequently arranged in rows of six for the frying process in first-grade vegetable oil.
This frying operation was highly automated, maintaining pre-set levels of oil and temperature while utilizing steam heating to minimize fire hazards. After frying, the noodles passed through a cooling tunnel before moving onto conveyor belts for packing into yellow two-minute bags, which each contained a net weight of 93 grams.
Packers on the assembly line finalized the process by boxing the noodles for distribution.