Brazil: General Mills acquires yoghurt manufacturer Carolina

American multinational General Mills has announced that it has acquired Brazilian dairy manufacturer Carolina for an undisclosed sum.

Carolina operates in southern and south-eastern Brazil and is known for the regional brands Carolina, VeryGurt and Gluck. It started producing yoghurt in 1995 under the Gluck brand and now markets more than 20 lines of dairy products.

The acquisition of Carolina marks the entry of General Mills, which owns the Yoplait brand, into the Brazilian yoghurt category, where it will compete with other major players such as Danone, Nestle, Lactalis and JBS.

Commenting on the launch, Chris O’Leary, executive vice president and chief operating officer – international at General Mills, said: “We are delighted to add Carolina’s strong brands and talented team to General Mills’ growing international business. Carolina’s strong capabilities in yogurt and dairy will accelerate General Mills’ growth in Brazil. We plan to invest and build on the strong Carolina product portfolio, leveraging our own expertise and the Carolina team to grow and expand in Brazil – a very important market for General Mills International”.

Source: General Mills / Valor