Snow Brand Milk Products Co., which was embroiled in a massive food-poisoning scandal this summer, unveiled a major restructuring plan Tuesday that includes cutting 1,300 jobs -- 20 percent of its workforce -- within 21/2 years and closing its Osaka plant.

The nation's top dairy product maker also announced that it will form a strategic business alliance with Nestle Japan Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Swiss-based food company Nestle SA, as part of its efforts to repair its tarnished reputation.

Snow Brand President Kohei Nishi said the restructuring plan, which covers the period from fiscal 2000 through 2002, is intended to handle the damage from the scandal, in which about 14,500 people mainly in western Japan complained of sickness after consuming bacteria-contaminated Snow Brand products.