Overcapacity in sector leads to plant closures, but Munsters Lunchpods will go on Glanbia set to ditch UK Consumer Meats arm Irish multinational Glanbia has announced that it it proposing to cease operations at one of its UK subsidiary operations, Glanbia Consumer Meats, due to continuing and deteriorating trading difficulties. Glanbia is consulting employees on the proposal which is being made "with great reluctance and after examining all other possibilities", according to the company. If it proceeds, the cessation will result in 717 redundances at the company's factories in Milton Keynes and Bradford. Glanbia plc group managing director John Moloney said: "This proposal has been made with reluctance and regret following a full examination of all the alternatives. Unfortunately as matters stand there is no real or reasonable prospect of Glanbia Consumer Meats trading out of its difficulties in the current market environment." Glanbia Consumer Meats' products include premium and standard sliced meats, wafer thin meats, high volume sandwich meats and impulse convenience foods predominantly supplied as own label lines to grocery multiples and foodservice customers. But if the proposal succeeds, the recently launched Munsters Lunchpods branded product line will continue to be developed in the UK through Glanbia Foods UK. The proposal to cease operations at Consumer Meats was made following a strategic review of the business and an employee consultation process which commenced in early March following the loss of substantial volumes. The review found that excess capacity, intense market competition and a high cost base had made the business unsustainable. {{CANNED GOODS }}