Bonduelle on Thursday said it struck a deal to buy Ready Pac Foods, a privately held California producer of fresh, prepared salads and other produce, in a move expected to significantly expand the French company’s U.S. presence.
The purchase, which is subject to routine regulatory reviews and approvals, is slated to close by the end of March. Bonduelle said in a statement it will acquire all of Ready Pac Foods’ common stock and run the business as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Terms were not disclosed.
The move comes as U.S. consumers are eating more fresh food and as grocery stores are making space in the produce aisle for products such as the bagged lettuce blends, salad kits and Bistro Bowls sold by Irwindale, California-based Ready Pac.
Bonduelle, established in 1853, owns four brands of canned, frozen and fresh vegetables and has operations in Canada and across Europe. The Ready Pac deal would make the United States the largest market for the company, which is headquartered in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France.
By Lisa Baertlein
Source: Reuters
Danone has appointed three deputy CEOs to “better connect categories and regions” and drive the delivery of its ‘Renew Danone’ strategy. The new appointees are Veronique Penchienati-Bosetta, Shane Grant and Juergen Esser. They will report to Danone CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique.
PepsiCo Portugal has announced that it will invest €7.5 million to construct a new biodigester, which will turn organic waste into biogas. As well as helping its Carregado facility to achieve a 30% reduction in carbon emissions, the biodigester will also contribute to reducing gas consumption, allowing the installation to use the biogas produced during the anaerobic digestion process.
Kerry is sponsoring The Kerry Upcycled Food Foundation Fellowship in a new partnership with the Upcycled Food Foundation (UFF), the non-profit subsidiary of the Upcycled Food Association (UFA). The research fellowship is the second initiated by the UFF and will work toward advancing the understanding of the market, consumer perception and technical opportunities of upcycled food.