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Euricom, the Italian rice specialist, has entered into binding agreements to acquire Ebly, a joint venture between Mars Food & Nutrition and the agricultural cooperative Axereal, for an undisclosed sum.
The transaction encompasses 100% of the shares in the venture, transferring ownership of the Ebly brand and its production facility in Chateaudun, France. According to Euricom, the site is the largest microwaveable ready-meal plant in the European Union, with a production capacity exceeding 100 million units per year. The acquisition allows Euricom to significantly expand its presence in the ready-to-heat (RTH) category, complementing its existing portfolio of rice, dry pasta and flour products.
Bruno Sempio, Chairman of Euricom, commented: “We look forward to working together with Ebly’s specialised team and leveraging the Châteaudun state-of-the-art facility to further develop the RTH sector and provide a comprehensive product offering to our customers across Europe, while building valuable partnerships with Mars and Axéréal”.
Under the terms of the deal, Mars will continue to market Ebly products to existing customers until at least the end of 2026 to ensure a smooth transition. The acquisition builds on Euricom’s recent expansion strategy, which included the purchase of the Polish rice and snacks brand Sonko in 2024.
Philippe Capaces, managing director at Ebly, added: “We believe this project would provide a secure and promising future for the Châteaudun factory, the Associates who work there and the Ebly brand”.
The transaction is subject to consultation with the relevant works councils and is expected to close by the end of April 2026.
Source: Axereal / Just Food / FoodBev
