Sep 13, 2006 8:56 AM, from staff and wire reports

Kraft Foods Inc plans to invest more than $10 million in its Lowville NY dairy plant and retain 331 employee positions. The company will obtain a New York state grant of up to $950,000 to aid in acquiring machinery, equipment, and facility enhancements.

This facility ranks as Kraft's leading cream cheese manufacturing operation. Supplied by a cooperative of more than 200 local dairy farms, it processes more than 300 million pounds of milk per year.

Kraft intends to reconfigure a packaging line, implement new waste treatment technologies, and improve electrical service at the plant.