The European Commission (EC) has approved the FrieslandCampina's acquisition of cheese specialist Zijerveld and its packaging unit Den Hollander Food from MYWO Food.
On 7 January, FrieslandCampina agreed to acquire the two companies and submitted the acquisition for approval to the European Competition authorities.
The EC has approved the acquisition, subject to production capacity, a sales volume of semi-hard goat's cheese and goat's milk, being made available to one or more external players.
It means that about 35 - 45% of the goat's cheese sales of Amalthea, as a partner of Zijerveld, must be sold on the open market.
FrieslandCampina will enter into negotiations with Amalthea for a satisfactory solution. Zijerveld will continue to trade as an independent entity within the FrieslandCampina Cheese, Butter & Milk Powder business.
The acquisition is part of the co-operative's strategy to strengthen its presence in added value cheese products. It will allow FrieslandCampina Cheese to offer its customers a wider range of cheese products and services.
Zijerveld, located in Bodegraven, provides Dutch-type cheeses and cheeses from foreign countries, and also offers customized concepts and logistics services to customers. The business owns ripening warehouses, packaging and logistics, and employs about 300 people.
The cheese specialist operates three commercial divisions: 'Retail', 'Traditional & Out of Home' and 'International Markets'. It has annual sales of €400m.
Den Hollander Food, the packaging business unit of Zijerveld, owns thirteen packaging lines and three grated cheese lines, and it employs 140 people. It focuses on sliced cheeses in various re-closable packages, and its products are primarily targeted towards large European retailers and other cheese producers.
