International meat group Irish Food Processors, which incorporates Anglo Irish Beef Processors (AIBP) in Ireland and Anglo Beef Processors (ABP) in the UK, is being re-branded as ABP Food Group. Paul Finnerty, chief executive of ABP Food Group, explains: “Our business has both expanded and diversified in recent years and we have come to the view that a re-brand will provide our customers and suppliers with a clearer understanding of our overall operational structure, product offerings and brand strategy.”

Headquartered in Ardee, County Louth, Ireland, ABP Food Group will comprise five operating divisions:

* ABP Beef : comprising ABP Ireland, ABP UK and ABP Poland, operating from 17 processing sites;

* ABP Convenience Foods : comprising 5 processing sites throughout the UK and Ireland;

* ABP Proteins : comprising 2 processing sites in Ireland;

* ABP Renewables : comprising 15 collection and 4 processing sites in the UK and Ireland; and

* ABP Petfoods : comprising 3 processing sites in Ireland, the UK & the Netherlands.

UK convenience foods producer Northern Foods has agreed to sell Dalepak Frozen Foods to the Irish Food Processors Group, one of the largest meat processors in Europe, for an expected cash consideration of £6.4m. Dalepak, based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, England, is a supplier of frozen food products, including meat and meat free grills, with brands such as Dalepak, Ross and Grassington’s.

Stefan Barden, chief executive of Northern Foods.

Subject to due process, 143 employees will transfer to the Irish Food Processors Group. Dalepak made a marginal loss on sales of £23m in the year to 3rd April 2010. A proportion of the proceeds from the transaction will be paid into the Northern Foods Pension Schemes.

Irish Food Processors is the parent company of Anglo Irish Beef Processors (AIBP) in Ireland representing 25% of the industry, and Anglo Beef Processors (ABP) in the UK which accounts for 15% of the industry. The group operates more than twenty facilities throughout both islands.

AIBP is Europe’s largest beef producer and is also the longest established beef processing group in Ireland. ABP supplies frozen and fresh beef, pork and lamb products to the multiple retail and wholesale trade in Britain.

To supplement its traditional core activity in beef processing, Irish Food Processors has been developing the added value element of its business. It currently operates a frozen foods division, including frozen beef burger production, consumer ready chilled products and a major frozen sausage production unit.