Mergers & acquisitions & joint ventures - M&M/Mars acquires Royal Canin S.A., other major European mergers - Government Activity - International Pages - Statistical Data Included

Eurofood, Feb 28, 2002

Mergers & Acquisitions & Joint Ventures

Buyer          Target          Country         Remarks

Lavazza        San             Italy           The Italian Anti-Trust
               Pellegrino                      Authority has given the
               unit                            go-ahead for Italian
                                               coffee maker Lavazza's
                                               purchase of a coffee
                                               processing unit of San
                                               Pellegrino.

Dowe           Prima           US/Poland       Dowe Egberts, which is
Egberts                                        owned by the US consumer
                                               goods firm Sara Lee has
                                               purchased Poland's number
                                               two coffee producer Prima
                                               from Dutch firm Drie
                                               Mollen.

Mars           Royal           US/France       US food giant Mars has
               Canin                           received EU clearance to
                                               complete the acquisition
                                               of leading French petfood
                                               company Royal Canin. Some
                                               concessions will have to
                                               be made, with Mars'
                                               Masterfoods Holding
                                               agreeing to offload
                                               several dogfood brands.

Archer         Alfred C.       US/Germany      The European Commission
Daniels        Toepfer                         has cleared the buy-up
Midland                                        by US agri-business
                                               giant Archer Daniels
                                               Midland of Hamburg-based
                                               grain trader Alfred C.
                                               Toepfer International.

Caffe Nero     Aroma           UK              UK independent coffee
                                               chain operator Caffe
                                               Nero has signed an
                                               agreement to acquire the
                                               Aroma chain of coffee
                                               bars, which is currently
                                               owned by US fastfood
                                               giant McDonald's. Caffe
                                               Nero expects the
                                               transaction to be
                                               complete in March and
                                               integration to begin
                                               in April. Approximately
                                               26 selected stores will
                                               be acquired. Caffe Nero
                                               will not be taking on any
                                               liabilities of Aroma
                                               Limited, other than the
                                               identified leases. After
                                               the Aroma integration,
                                               Caffe Nero will have
                                               approximately 107 stores.

Compass        Castle          UK              UK foodservice group
               Independent                     Compass has announced a
                                               deal to acquire Castle
                                               Independent, a firm which
                                               supplies school meals,
                                               and has a annual turnover
                                               of some 30m [pounds
                                               sterling] (48.7m
                                               [euro]). The
                                               cost of the deal was not
                                               disclosed.

Federation     Cocoa           France/UK       Federation du Commerce
du Commerce    Association                     des Cacaos and the Cocoa
des Cacaos     of London                       Association of London of
                                               France and Britain joined
                                               forces to form the
                                               Federation of Cocoa
                                               Commerce aimed at
                                               offering a single
                                               harmonised contract by
                                               merging the two competing
                                               systems.

Cargills       Wall's plant    Sri Lanka       Sri Lankan food retailer
                                               Cargills has said it
                                               plans to purchase a
                                               Wall's ice cream plant
                                               from Unilever Ceylon,
                                               a unit of Anglo-Dutch
                                               giant Unilever.

Advang         Van Lieshout    Netherlands/    Unilever has announced
Holding        Vleessnacks     UK              that its IgloMora Groep
                                               is holding negotiations
                                               with Dutch firm Advang
                                               Holding regarding the
                                               sale of OgloMora's Van
                                               Lieshout Vleessnacks
                                               business.

Leclerc        Conad           France/Italy    French and Italian food
                                               retailers Leclerc and
                                               Conad are pushing ahead
                                               with their joint venture
                                               plans for a hypermarket
                                               chain in Italy. The join
                                               venture company (60%
                                               Conad, 40% Leclerc) is
                                               known as Conalec.

Danish         Steff-          Denmark         A merger between
Crown          Houlberg                        Denmark's number one and
                                               number two meat
                                               processing companies has
                                               been given the green
                                               light by the European
                                               Commission, regarding the
                                               effects of the deal in
                                               Europe. The deal has been
                                               referred to the Danish
                                               government regarding
                                               competition concerns in
                                               Denmark.

Pret A         McDonald's      UK/Japan        UK sandwich shop
Manger         Japan                           operator Pret A Manger,
                                               in which US fastfood
                                               giant McDonald's
                                               purchased a significant
                                               stake last year, out into
                                               Japan. Following the
                                               success of its first
                                               store in Hong Kong, Pret
                                               A Manger will take its
                                               concept to Japan through
                                               a joint venture with
                                               McDonald's Japan.

Cadbury-       Kent            UK/Turkey       Leading confectioner and
Schweppes                                      drinks producer Cadbury-
                                               Schweppes has agreed to
                                               acquire a 51% stake in
                                               Turkey's number one
                                               confectionery firm Kent.
                                               The deal also includes a
                                               majority equity interest
                                               in Kent's distribution
                                               arm Birlik. Cadbury is
                                               buying the stake from the
                                               Tahincioglu family in a
                                               67m [pounds sterling]
                                               (109.9m [euro]) deal.

Unicopa        Primordia-      France          Unicopa, the Breton
               Cofranlait                      cooperative, has bought
                                               out Primordia-Cofranlait,
                                               the milk products group.
                                               Unicopa has held a 50%
                                               share of Primordia-
                                               Cofranlait's capital
                                               since 1995. The latter
                                               specialises in infant
                                               formulas and cereal-based
                                               foods, milk powders and
                                               derivatives, and dietary
                                               products.

Mars           Rena            US/France       Food company Mars has
                                               acquired the aquarium
                                               equipment company Rena
                                               from PSB Industries

N/A            Tate & Lyle     UK              UK sugar group Tate &
               molasses                        Lyle, which recently
                                               saw the sale of its
                                               Western Sugar company
                                               collapse, has put its
                                               molasses and storage
                                               business up for sale.
                                               The business up for
                                               grabs last year
                                               generated sales of
                                               between 350m [pounds
                                               sterling] to 400m [pounds
                                               sterling] (574m [euro])
                                               to (656m
                                               [euro]).

Lactalis       SFPM            France          French dairy firm Bel has
                                               sold its speciality soft
                                               cheese and rind cheese
                                               divisions to compatriot
                                               firm Lactalis.