Spanish ice cream producer Frigo, a subsidiary of Anglo-Dutch food and consumer products giant Unilever, is to cut jobs at its plant in Barcelona.

The layoffs are reported to be related to the company’s plans to reduce its production at the plant to 36.5m litres of ice cream in 2003 from 39.3m litres in 2002.

The number of workers to be laid off is expected to be announced at the end of January. Frigo currently employs 450 people, reported the Spanish News Digest.