Kerry Group has acquired a cookie dough producer in in the US state of Oregon.

The purchase of Jana's Classics was agreed earlier this week, with Kerry taking over the firm from its founder, Ms Jana Taylor, for an undisclosed sum.

Jana's will be subsumed into Kerry's Sweet Ingredients division, which supplies ingredients for products as frozen desserts and cereals.

A spokesman for Kerry described Jana's as a "processing" facility that would expand the firm's capabilities in the ingredients area.

Jana's, which was founded in 1984 in Ms Taylor's kitchen, occupies a 75,000 square-foot facility in the Oregon town of Tualatin. The firm employs about 130 people, all of whom are expected to transfer to Kerry. Ms Taylor is to take a senior position with Kerry Sweet Ingredients.

Jana's had sales of close to $15 million last year, with much of this attributable to "ice cream inclusions" such as tiny cookies or brownie pieces that are mixed into premium ice creams.

The company specialises in "mass customisation", or mass production with artisan-style detail.

The latest purchase is the second deal concluded by Kerry in Oregon within the last few months.

In June, Kerry acquired Oregon Chai, a manufacturer of tea latte mixes, concentrates and ready-to-drink products.

Kerry's spokesman described the Jana's transaction as "relatively small" in the context of the group's overall acquisition spend.

Kerry spent €674 million on acquisitions in the first half of this year.