USA: Danone builds plant-based food capacity
Danone, the global dairy firm, has unveiled a new facility for the manufacture of plant-based foods at its site in Dubois, PA, USA, according to FoodBev and Food Business News reports. The multi-million dollar investment will see products under brands such as Silk, So Delicious and Vega manufactured in a dedicated facility. Danone has previously […]
South Africa: Clover Industries subject of consortium buyout bid
Clover Industries, the leading South African dairy firm, is the subject of a buyout bid by a multinational consortium, according to media reports. The bid, which values the company at 4.8 billion ZAR ($359 million), is being led by Israels’s Coca-Cola franchise Central Bottling Co, which owns 60% of the potential acquirer. Other partners include […]
UK: Burton’s Biscuit acquires Thomas Fudge’s
Burton’s Biscuit, the UK bakery firm behind brands such as Maryland and Wagon Wheels, has announced the acquisition of Dorset-based biscuit firm Thomas Fudge’s for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 1916, Thomas Fudge’s focuses on “indulgent” sweet and savoury biscuits, producing lines such as florentines, flapjacks, biscuits for cheese, wafers and flatbreads. In a statement, […]
USA: Unilever buys detergent brand The Laundress
Leading consumer goods firm Unilever has announced it has acquired The Laundress, a premium-positioned eco-friendly line of detergent, fabric care, and home cleaning products based in New York, USA. Founded in 2004 , The Laundress is described as being “dedicated to turning necessary household chores into a luxurious and enjoyable experience”. The firm’s product line […]
Nigeria: Coca-Cola takes full ownership of Chi
Coca-Cola has announced it has taken full ownership of Chi, described as Africa’s leading producer of juice and value-added dairy drinks. The soft drinks giant had previously taken a 40% stake in the Nigerian firm, with provision to increase equity investment to 100% within three years. The deal “further signals Coca-Cola’s optimism about Africa’s consumer opportunity and a […]
USA: Saco acquires California Sun Dry
Saco, a distributor of specialty consumer packaged goods, has announced it is to acquire leading sun-dried tomato business California Sun Dry for an undisclosed sum. California Sun Dry has a comprehensive product portfolio of jarred and bagged sun-dried tomato products, as well as related products such as tomato spread and pesto, and enjoys the number one […]
India: Varun Beverages to acquire PepsiCo’s bottling operations in south and west India
Varun Beverages, PepsiCo’s Indian bottling partner, is set to acquire PepsiCo’s company-owned bottling, sales and distribution operations in the south and west regions of India, according to a report in the Economic Times. Varun Beverages is already the franchise partner for PepsiCo’s bottling operations in the North and East, having acquired those divisions in 2014. The latest acquisition, the value […]
France: Casino divests stores
Casino, the French supermarket group, has announced plans to sell of a total of 32 hypermarkets and supermarkets in France as part of a plan to dispose of non-strategic assets. The retailer said it had signed agreements to sell six hypermarkets located outside the Paris region in the towns of Castelnaudary, Saint Gregoire, Dole, Cholet, Anglet and […]
Germany: Katjes launches vegan chocolate bar
Katjes, the German sugar confectionery firm, is making its debut in the chocolate category with the launch of Katjes Chocjes, a vegan chocolate bar made using oat milk instead of cow’s milk. According to a report in Horizont, the new Katjes line is intended to have a focus on sustainability. The cocoa used in the bar is […]
Portugal: Delta Cafes moves into snacks with “coffee bar” launch
Portuguese coffee firm Delta Cafes has entered the snack bar business with the launch of a energy-boosting cereal bar that contains caffeine. Branded as Croffee, the cereal bar is said to be “healthy, satiating and stimulating” and comes in a brown-coloured wrapper bearing images of coffee beans. Each bar is said to contain caffeine content equivalent […]