100 new jobs are on the way to Co. Meath. Animal foods company Alltech is creating the positions at its European Headquarters in Dunboyne.

It follows the recent opening of the expanded Alltech European Bioscience Centre. The facility supports 42 countries and 26 different languages, and has a strong emphasis on research around biotechnology, microbiology and chemistry-based disciplines.

The company is approaching US$1 billion in sales and it says is on target to achieve US$4 billion by 2016.

The firm has a presence in Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle-East, Africa and Asia.

The Agriculture Minister says the announcement is a great boost for employment opportunities.

Simon Coveney said that "The 100 new jobs is a great boost for employment opportunities and Alltech's decision to expand here is no doubt influenced by the availability of highly qualified young graduates in Ireland".

"The new posts being created are very much in line with the development of the smart agri-food economy as foreseen under Food Harvest 2020" he added.