Cork plant will be producing key ingredients for 80 markets worldwide

09:07, 20 Apr 2026Updated 09:18, 20 Apr 2026

James Fitzpatrick, Plant Manager and Cllr Ian Doyle, Cork County Council, pictured at the official opening of the Kerry Carrigaline (Image: Robbie Reynolds)

There’s a big vote of confidence that has just been made in Cork’s biggest town by the giant Kerry Group – with a significantly expanded biotechnology manufacturing facility in Carrigaline.

The newly operational and expanded plant will produce lactase enzymes at industrial scale, allowing Kerry to supply key markets worldwide where demand is accelerating for lactose‑free and sugar‑reduced dairy products. The investment future-proofs the Carrigaline plant and makes it a key facility for the diary giant’s plans worldwide. Carrigaline will be working with the Kerry Biotechnology Centre in Leipzig, Germany on the latest breakthroughs in this area.

Kerry Group say Carrigaline site plays a central role in Kerry’s global manufacturing network, supporting more than 200 customers across over 80 countries. Lactase enzymes produced at the site are used to process more than two million tonnes of milk annually, reaching an estimated 28 million consumers worldwide.

“This investment translates decades of biotech research into scalable, real‑world capability,” said Shane McGibney, President & CEO, Biotechnology Solutions and Transformation at Kerry. “By strengthening the link between enzyme engineering and industrial production, we’re able to move innovations more efficiently from the lab to the production line – helping customers access reliable supply and bring new products to market with greater speed and confidence.”

The Carrigaline investment enhances Kerry’s end‑to‑end enzyme platform by more closely linking advanced enzyme engineering and strain development with large‑scale manufacturing. Working with Kerry’s Global Innovation Centre as the central hub, Kerry connects innovation and application development with its specialised biotechnology capabilities at the Kerry Biotechnology Centre in Leipzig, Germany, and expanded production capacity in Carrigaline, Ireland – accelerating the journey from lab‑based discovery to commercial application.

“This facility demonstrates how industry, skills and innovation come together to support the future of Ireland’s food and biotechnology sectors”, said Peter Burke, Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment of Ireland. “As a global leader in food, Kerry Group continues to play an important role in advancing high value capability from its Irish base. Manufacturing sites like Carrigaline help move innovation towards scale and strengthen Ireland’s position in advanced manufacturing.”

Demand for lactose‑free and sugar‑reduced dairy continues to grow across global markets, as consumers seek products that support digestive comfort and reduced sugar intake without compromising taste or quality. Kerry’s expanded lactase capacity is designed to help dairy producers respond to this demand quickly, reliably and at scale.

“For our customers, this expansion is about execution as much as innovation,” said Ronan Moloney, Vice President of Enzymes at Kerry. “With increased manufacturing capacity in Carrigaline, combined with deep application expertise, we can support customers through enzyme selection, process optimisation and scale‑up – reducing bottlenecks and strengthening supply continuity as they commercialise lactose‑free and sugar‑reduced dairy products.”