Kerry Group to sell consumer mets and meals division

Around 4,500 staff work within the businesses been sold, with around 3,000 of those jobs located in the UK.

Kerry Group is to sell its consumer foods' meats and meals business in the UK and Ireland to US food company Pilgrim's Pride for €819m in cash.

Among the operations contained in the deal is the Kerry Group plant at Carrickmacross and a factory in Enniskillen.

Kerry Group's meats business includes branded and private label meats, meat snacks, food-to-go and meat-free products. Brands include Denny, Galtee, Richmond, Fridge Raiders and Rollover.

The sale is part of a stated strategy to focus activities on the business' taste and nutrition divisions.

Around 4,500 staff work within the businesses been sold, with around 3,000 of those jobs located in the UK.

Around 300 are employed in Northern Ireland.

Pilgrim's Pride provides food products to customers in more than 100 countries and employs around 58,000 people.

The deal with Kerry Group is expected to close in the last quarter of the year.