M&As this week: Charoen Pokphand Foods, Smithfield Foods, Elior Group

Thai-based Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) has reached an agreement to acquire US frozen food company Bellisio Parent for $1bn within 180 days.

CPF aims to enter the US market and expand in the high-potential market through the acquisition.

Bellisio Parent’s popular frozen food brands include Michelina’s, Boston Market, Chili’s and Atkins.

Smithfield Foods is set to acquire Clougherty Packing, a pork product maker, from US-based Hormel Foods.

The acquisition is expected to be closed within 30 days and will cost $145m.

Smithfield Foods will acquire bacon and sausage brand Farmer John, premium brand Saag's Specialty Meats, two processing facilities in California and three PFFJ farms in Arizona, California and Wyoming from Hormel Foods.

France-based Elior Group has acquired MegaBite Food Services and CRCL, two contract caterers based in India.

The group’s subsidiary Elior India expects to serve 135,000 meals a day and employ more than 3,500 people.

MegaBite Food Services is a premium corporate caterer based in Bangalore, while CRCL is based in Chennai.

Elior has fully acquired the former, while purchasing a majority stake in the latter.