Toms Capital ‘Buys Stake in McCormick’
Toms Capital Investment Management has quietly amassed a significant, undisclosed stake in McCormick, the U.S. spices and seasonings leader. The move comes as McCormick negotiates a merger with Unilever that values Unilever’s food portfolio at roughly $44.8 bn and includes a $15.7 bn cash component. McCormick’s stock edged up 1.15% to $47.37 after the news, though the shares remain down 29.6% year‑to‑date. The combined entity would see Unilever shareholders own 55.1%, McCormick shareholders 35%, and Unilever retain a 9.9% stake.
Dairy Giant Lactalis Swoops for UK Firm Protein Works
Lactalis, the French dairy conglomerate behind Parmalat and Président, has acquired UK protein‑focused brand Protein Works. The deal, announced on June 1, brings a company that generated roughly $74 million in revenue last year, with 83% of sales coming from direct‑to‑consumer...
Applied Nutrition Strikes Deal for Assets of US Peer Nutrablend
Applied Nutrition announced a $16 million cash purchase of the majority of Nutrablend Group’s assets, including a fully equipped six‑acre production and logistics facility in Buffalo, New York. The Buffalo plant houses five powder‑filling lines, three stick‑pack machines and roughly $5 million of...
Ukraine’s MHP Buys Majority Stake in Poultry Producer Nitsiakos
Ukrainian agribusiness MHP announced a deal to acquire a 70% stake in Greek poultry leader Nitsiakos, with the purchase staged across three phases ending in 2028. The first tranche is slated for the first quarter of 2027, followed by subsequent...
Greencore CEO Dalton Philips Admits “There’s a Lot Still to Be Done” Post Bakkavor Merger
Greencore has completed its merger with Bakkavor, creating a £2 billion food group with projected revenue of £3.5 billion by 2026. CEO Dalton Philips said the integration is underway but highlighted that significant work remains, especially around cultural alignment and supply‑chain harmonisation....
Plukon Food Group Makes Another Poultry Acquisition in Spain
Plukon Food Group announced the acquisition of Avícola Moraleja, operating as Avimosa, a Spanish poultry company with €56 million ($65 million) in 2023 revenue. Avimosa brings a fully integrated supply chain—including feed production, hatching, farming and processing—across four facilities in Madrid and...
The New Health-and-Wellness Paradigm in US Food
The U.S. consumer‑packaged foods sector is moving away from a predictable health‑and‑wellness cycle toward a fragmented, data‑driven paradigm. Brands now prioritize functional ingredients, personalized nutrition platforms, and sustainability claims to meet evolving consumer expectations. Regulatory scrutiny is intensifying as the...
Loss-Making Atlantic Sapphire Secures Funds as Takeover Offer Proceeds
Atlantic Sapphire, a loss‑making land‑based salmon farmer, secured at least $20 million of new financing through a $10 million bridge loan and a fully underwritten $10 million equity raise, with optional up to $6 million additional subscriptions. A group of its largest shareholders formed...
French Senate Inquiry Hits Out at Large Retailers
The French Senate’s latest inquiry accuses the nation’s four dominant grocery chains—Leclerc, Carrefour, Intermarché and Coopérative U—of predatory practices that skew value away from farmers and manufacturers. An analysis of six months of profit margins shows retailers capture roughly 40% of...
Flowers Foods Better-for-You Snacking Bets Soften Blow to Volumes
Flowers Foods reported first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $1.57 bn, up 1.1% year‑over‑year, while overall volumes fell 3.3%. The Simple Mills snack brand, acquired last year, posted a 2.3% sales increase, helping to cushion the broader volume pressure. Net profit slipped 20.6% to...
How Food Brands Are Upping Focus on Fibre
Consumers worldwide are increasingly focused on gut health, sparking a social‑media‑driven "fibremaxxing" movement. GlobalData research shows 42% of shoppers prioritize gut health, with 40% of Gen Z and 45% of Millennials actively boosting fibre intake. Major food companies—from PepsiCo’s $2 bn acquisition...
“No-One’s Done that in the US Before” – John Foraker Talks Strategy at Once Upon a Farm
Once Upon a Farm CEO John Foraker says the company is pioneering a fresh‑refrigerated baby‑food model that has never been executed at scale in the United States. He outlined a strategy that blends farm‑direct sourcing, AI‑driven supply‑chain optimization, and a...
Barilla Adds Capacity at US Pasta Factory
Barilla announced a $145 million, two‑phase expansion of its Avon, New York pasta plant, adding a 52,000‑square‑foot production building, a new line and three packaging lines in phase 1, slated for completion by March 2028. The upgrade will support a second line in...
Raisio CEO to Leave Finnish Food Group
Raisio announced that CEO Pasi Flinkman will depart the Finnish food group, remaining in the role until November or until a successor is found. Flinkman, who joined in June 2024 from Orkla, is credited with revitalizing operations and boosting profitability,...
Arla Venture Buys Australian Cottage-Cheese Firm Brancourts
Arla Foods, through its Australian venture AFMA, has agreed to acquire Brancourts, a family‑run cottage‑cheese producer in New South Wales. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, adds a brand that employs about 55 people and sells primarily within...