EC Approves Lactalis Acquisition

The European Commission has allowed Lactalis to purchase Puleva Foods, the milk product unit of Spanish food company Ebro Foods, for €630m ($801.2m).

The takeover completes a string of acquisitions by Lactalis, which includes Italy’s Galbani cheese company and the UK’s Lubborn creamery.

Ebro’s sale of the dairy unit, which had sales of €444m in 2009, follows the disposal of its sugar business to Associated British Foods last year for €526m.