A man is being treated for serious injuries in hospital following an accident at the Kerry Group factory in Listowel, Co. Kerry.

Gardaí and emergency services rushed to the scene at the dairy and food ingredients plant located at Islandmacloughry on the Tralee Road at around 7.45p.m yesterday (Monday, February 6).

It is understood that the man, who is aged in his 60s, suffered burn injuries.

He was initially taken from the scene to University Hospital Kerry in Tralee and was later airlifted by the Shannon Coast Guard helicopter to Cork University Hospital for treatment.

A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) told Agriland that they are “aware of the incident and have launched and investigation”.

Image: Irish Coastguard

A garda spokesperson confirmed to Agriland: “Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a workplace accident that occurred on a premises in Listowel, Co. Kerry at approximately 7:45p.m yesterday (February 6, 2023).

“One man aged in his 60s was conveyed to Cork University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries sustained as a result of this incident.

“The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has been notified,” the garda spokesperson added.

Kerry Group

Elsewhere, Kerry Group has pleaded guilty to a charge that it manufactured breakfast cereal under insanitary conditions at a facility in the US that was linked to a 2018 salmonella outbreak.

The food and ingredients company, headquartered in Tralee, Co. Kerry, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of distributing adulterated cereal, marketed as Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, manufactured at its plant at Gridley, Illinois, which it later closed.

More than 130 cases of salmonellosis were linked to the outbreak, with illness onset dates beginning in March 2018. There were no deaths related to the outbreak.

Kerry has agreed to pay a criminal fine and forfeiture amount totalling $19.228 million (€17.95 million).

If the guilty plea is accepted by the court, this will constitute the largest-ever criminal penalty following a criminal conviction in a food safety case in the US.

The federal court in Illinois has set a March 14, 2023 sentencing date for Kerry.