PARIS, April 15 (Reuters) - European stocks ended slightly higher on Friday, but posted their first weekly loss in a month as the return of worries over the euro zone debt crisis prompted investors to book recent lofty gains on peripheral equities.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares unofficially ended 0.2 percent higher at 1,131.36 points, posting a loss 1.5 percent for the week.
The Thomson Reuters Peripheral Eurozone Countries Index -- which had been strongly outperforming broader European indexes so far this year -- fell 0.7 percent on Friday following Moody's downgrade of Ireland's debt rating and on growing concerns that Greece won't be able to avert a debt restructuring.
"Down the road, a Greek debt restructuring seems inevitable, and it looks like they are trying to slowly prepare the market for it. Would it be the end of the world? I don't think so," said Patrice Perois, trader at Kepler Capital Markets in Paris.
Food and beverage stocks featured among the top gainers on Friday after the world's No. 1 food group Nestle reported forecast-beating quarterly sales, sending its shares up 2.4 percent. (Reporting by Blaise Robinson)