Glanbia Dairy Ingredients Ireland has opened a €21m whey protein isolate plant at Ballyragget in County Kilkenny.
The plant uses a micro-filtering system to produce whey protein isolate for use in applications such as sports/ performance nutrition, high-end clinical and infant nutritional formulations.
The Glanbia Ballyragget facility currently employs 320 people and Glanbia Dairy Ingredients Ireland plans to recruit 70 more if a new joint venture (JV) is approved by Glanbia Co-operative Society and Glanbia plc on 13 November and a new facility built at Belview.
Glanbia Dairy Ingredients Ireland chief executive Jim Bergin said: "If approved the planned €180 million investment at Belview and existing facilities will support on-farm growth and will provide a major jobs and economic boost locally and nationally."
The JV aims to run milk processing ahead of the end of EU quotas on milk production in three years' period.
On completion, the JV will have full ownership and control of Dairy Ingredients Ireland and the shareholding of Glanbia plc and the society in the JV will be split 40% and 60%, respectively.
