Fears are growing for jobs in Co Louth as ketchup maker HJ Heinz warned it was considering cutting almost 250 jobs at its UK and Ireland operations.

The company, which was taken private this year by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and Jorge Paulo Lemann's 3G Capital, employs about 2,500 people across the UK and Ireland, with about 270 staff at its factory in Dundalk, Co Louth.

"Heinz continues to examine every aspect of our business globally to ensure we are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible in order to reach our growth goals," Michael Mullen, a spokesman for Pittsburgh-based Heinz said in a statement.

Proposals “may result in the elimination of 248 office positions across the UK and Ireland”, Mr Mullen said.

Earlier this month, Heinz cut 600 jobs at its US operations, as it began to slim down its operations. (Additional reporting -Bloomberg)