The first shelf-ready infant nutrition products from an indigenous Irish company have begun to roll off the production line at Kerry Group’s plant in Charleville, Co Cork.

The first test batch of production is the culmination of major and ongoing investment by Kerry Group in pharma grade facilities and packing lines at the Charleville site.

The group has also invested heavily in Listowel, Co Kerry, in order to increase its output of demineralised whey, a key ingredient for infant nutrition products.

Ireland is a major global player in the infant nutrition sector, but output to date has been entirely from multi-national firms Abbott, Danone and Nestle.

Kerry Group is expected to continue to be a business-to-business supplier to the sector and will not be selling branded products direct to the consumer. The Irish Farmers Journal understands that the first batch of production will be destined for the Chinese market.