Netherlands: Unilever acquries De Vegetarische Slager
Multinational consumer goods firm Unilever has announced the acquisition of De Vegetarische Slager (The Vegetarian Butcher), a Netherlands-based meat substitutes firm, for an undisclosed sum. Unilever said the acquisition fitted with its strategy of expanding its portfolio into plant-based foods that are healthier and have a lower environmental impact, and would allow it to respond to […]
UK: GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer to merge consumer health businesses
Leading healthcare and pharmaceuticals firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Pfizer have announced plans to merge their respective consumer health businesses in a move that will see GSK separate to create two new global companies. GSK said it would have a majority controlling equity interest of 68% in the joint venture, which has combined sales of approximately £9.8 billion ($12.7 […]
Brazil: PepsiCo closes plant in Manaus
Global snacks and drinks giant PepsiCo has announced the closure of its factory in the Free Economic Zone of Manaus, reportedly after changes to taxes in the soft drinks sector. According to Exame, PepsiCo said that the decision to leave the region “was taken with the goal of efficiently managing our operations throughout Brazil and […]
Belgium: Coca-Cola adds canned drinks line to Ghent site
Soft drinks giant Coca-Cola has announced an investment of €27.9 million ($31.6 million) in its production facility in Ghent, Belgium to install a canned drinks line. The new can line will be added to the current production lines at the facility, which comprises one glass packaging line and two juice lines. Commenting on the investment, […]
France: Clarins to launch natural brand My Clarins
Clarins, the French toiletries giant, is launching a new brand of natural toiletries in France and the UK under the My Clarins brand. According to a report in Cosmetics Business, the new line will target the 18 to 29 year old age bracket and will initially consist of nine products. Available from January 2019, the […]
Spain: FrieslandCampina acquires cheese firm Millan Vicente
Dutch dairy multinational FrieslandCampina has announced the acquisition of Millan Vicente, a co-packer and distributor of cheese based in Zaragoza, Spain for an undisclosed sum. Describing Millan Vicente as an important partner in Spain for many years, FrieslandCampina said the deal would further strengthen FrieslandCampina’s position in supplying cheese to Spanish and Portuguese consumers. Millan Vicente was founded […]
Sweden: Orkla divests Mrs Cheng’s brand
Orkla has announced that it has disposed of its Mrs Cheng’s brand, selling the business to Continental Foods for an undisclosed sum. The Mrs Cheng’s brand, which has a product portfolio of soy sauces and Thai casserole bases in Sweden, became a part of Orkla through the acquisition of Rieber & Son in 2013 and had […]
Japan: Ajinomoto to build new $180 million soup factory
Ajinomoto, the Japan-based seasonings and ready meals firm, has announced plans to construct a new plant to manufacture soup and other products at its Kawasaki site at a cost of 20 billion JPY ($180 million). The company said the new plant was part of a strategy that includes the restructuring of the value chain of its Japan Food […]
Canada: Altria invests in cannabis firm
Altria, the multinational tobacco firm, has diversified into the cannabis sector with the acqusition of a 45% equity stake in Cronos Group for an aggregate investment of approximately USD $1.8 billion. Altria said the deal would leave it better positioned should cannabis become federally permitted in the US. Cronos Group is a vertically integrated cannabis company that operates […]
India: Unilever seals deal for GSK’s health consumer products division
FMCG giant Unilever has announced it has secured a deal to acquire GSK’s health consumer products division in India, Bangladesh and other predominantly Asian markets, for a total consideration of €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion). The transaction is said to consist of an all-equity merger of Hindustan Unilever Ltd with GSK Consumer Healthcare India, the acquisition of an 82% stake in […]