Kerry group is investing €38 million (£29.9 million) in a major expansion of its food ingredients business in Asia, to increase turnover in the Asian market from €130 million last year to $500 million by 2005.

Kerry has already invested €28 million it its ingredients plant in Johor Bahru in Malaysia. Chief executive Mr Denis Brosnan said the commissioning of this production and development facility in Malaysia, which had tripled manufacturing capacity and added new processing technologies, would be important for the group's expansion into Asia.