UK: Kerry Foods merger given provisional clearance

The acquisition of Kerry Foods’ chilled savoury pastry business by Pork Farms Group has been provisionally cleared by the Competition & Markets Authority following an investigation on the grounds that it could result in a monopoly of the pork pie market.

Details of the acquisition were revealed last summer, however the CMA announced in December that it would be investigating the merger. Both companies manufacture and supply branded and own-label chilled savoury pastry products to the food retail sector.

John Wotton, chair of the Pork Farms Caspian/Kerry Foods merger group, said that, looking across the different chilled CSP products, the CMA had provisionally concluded that the deal would not give the parties an opportunity to raise prices or reduce quality.

“The evidence we heard indicated that the merger would not significantly affect customers’ ability to negotiate for the best deal for these products,” he explained.

Full Content: London South East

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