The Bonduelle Group has revealed plans to offload its packaged salad businesses in France and Germany.
The move is in response to a structural decline in salad consumption in France and Germany, which has been exacerbated by inflation and increased competition from private labels.
Bonduelle has introduced several projects to optimise the firm’s long-term future. Firstly, it is resizing Bonduelle Frais France, hoping to ‘streamline head office structures’ and cease operations at its site in Saint Mihiel. Bonduelle says it is looking for a buyer.
The firm has entered into exclusive negotiations with Les Crudettes, an LSDH Group company, for the acquisition of its packaged salad business in France.
Bonduelle has also entered into exclusive negotiations with Taylor Farms, a US-based producer of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, for the acquisition of its packaged salad business in Germany.
Should these transactions go ahead, Bonduelle says it is “confident in the ability of the LSDH Group and Taylor Farms to turn around the business in their respective geographies”.
Bonduelle says that these initiatives are necessary to preserve jobs within the group’s sites in France and Europe. The projects will shift Bonduelle’s focus to its other business operations, enabling it to ‘continue accelerating’ its activities in the fresh delicatessen, canned and frozen food markets in these territories.
The discussions and consultations began yesterday (29 August) and will continue over the coming weeks with employee representatives.
Bonduelle’s North American and Italian fresh businesses will not be impacted by these projects. The firm says that they “operate under different market dynamics and will continue to manage and develop their activities in both fresh cut salad and delicatessen categories”.
These transactions are subject to the necessary approvals, financial terms were not disclosed.
by Phoebe Fraser
Source: foodbev.com
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