KELLOGG'S IS adding 50 "high-value" jobs in Ireland, taking its Irish workforce to 250 by the end of the year.

Forty-two jobs will be at Kellogg's European headquarters in Swords, Co Dublin, where the jobs will be a mixture of sales, marketing, finance and supply chain positions, while eight of the new staff will be based at the Irish sales team in Santry.

Kellogg's established its European headquarters in Dublin in 2005, when it began its operations with 80 staff, with a further 30 working for Kellogg Ireland. By the end of 2010, some 200 people will be working at the European base, with 50 staff at the Irish operation.

"We are able to attract highly skilled professionals in this market and we are confident that we can continue to build our functional teams here to sustain growth across our European business," said Tim Mobsby, the Irish-based president of Kellogg Europe.

Jim McNeill, managing director of Kellogg Ireland, said the cereal company's Irish business was "performing well" and that the additional sales positions would help the company grow its business.

Yesterday, the Kellogg company, which originates from Battle Creek, Michigan, in the US, reduced its global profit forecasts for the year. Second quarter net earnings were $302 million, a 15 per cent decline over the same quarter a year ago.

Its sales have suffered as a result of a recall of 28 million boxes of four of its brands in the US last month, due to tainted packaging materials.

Mr Mobsby said the results were "disappointing", particularly for North America, which accounts for two-thirds of its sales.

Second-quarter internal net sales in Europe were down 3 per cent, as the deflationary environment led to lower prices.

Kellogg's, which owns brands including Rice Krispies, Special K, Pop-Tarts, All-Bran and Nutri-Grain, has a 58.1 per cent share of the Irish market, placing it far ahead of competitors Weetabix (15.7 per cent), Nestlé (13.2 per cent) and private label cereals (8.1 per cent).