VIVERA acquired by JBS S.A.

Olam Food Ingredients completed the acquisition of the U.S. spices blender Olde Thompson. Rationale underscores transformative synergies: OFI's farm-gate origination and sustainable spice chain merges with Olde Thompson's blending mastery and customer intimacy, unlocking comprehensive natural flavour portfolios amid surging demand for traceable retail staples. Timing leverages post-pandemic pantry-loading and clean-label acceleration; post-deal goals encompass expanded offerings, retail value co-creation, and EBITDA synergies via optimized supply.

Astorg has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in Solina from Ardian in a transaction valuing the company at approximately EUR1.7 billion. This deal marks Solina's sixth LBO, highlighting its consistent growth trajectory under private equity ownership. Astorg secured the deal through a pre-emptive offer, beating out other interested funds and industrial players. Under Ardian's ownership (since 2015), Solina nearly doubled its size through organic growth and nine build-up acquisitions, expanding beyond its core markets (France, Benelux, Scandinavia) into the UK, Spain, and Canada. The management team reinvests alongside Astorg to drive the next phase of growth.

After 8 years under Equistone's control, the management team, led by Thierry Goubault, initiated a buyout alongside Credit Mutuel Equity. Management would then hold 40% of the capital, while the investment firm would acquire approximately 60%. This transaction marks Credit Mutuel Equity's third investment cycle in the company since 2007, illustrating a long-term partnership strategy aimed at preserving its independence from global agri-food conglomerates. The strategic rationale is based on accelerating organic growth through the expansion of industrial capacity, notably the commissioning of a new factory dedicated to the production of private label brands, and increased penetration of European markets, such as the United Kingdom. Furthermore, this investment supports the company's ongoing transition towards plant-based innovations and environmental certifications, thereby strengthening its competitive advantage in the premium "healthy snacking" segment. From a financial perspective, the transaction was structured as a preferential tender offer, reflecting the asset's strong performance and its industry-leading EBITDA margins. This transaction illustrates a growing trend of long-term investment by private equity funds in resilient, high-quality, mid-sized companies that maintain a solid domestic industrial base while pursuing global expansion.

Ambienta-backed Nactarome Group completed the acquisition of TasteConnection from its founders, marking its fourth add-on in 2.5 years and establishing a UK industry hub. Transaction facts detail full ownership transfer of the seasonings specialist, integrating its Gloucestershire facility adjacent to Nactarome's existing operations for streamlined synergies. Rationale centers on strategic adjacency in clean-label flavourings, with TasteConnection's snacks and savoury dominance complementing Nactarome's top-notes portfolio to create comprehensive aromatic solutions. This bolt-on exemplifies platform consolidation in natural ingredients, where sustainability-focused PE deploys dry powder for high-growth niches—benchmarking Ambienta's serial add-ons against peers and signaling robust M&A pipelines for clean-label leaders targeting defensive consumer staples.

LIFEBRANDS Natural Food GmbH completed the acquisition of Revolution Tea, a US‑based specialty tea company, in March 2021, marking LIFEBRANDS’ entry into the US tea and hot‑beverage market. The transaction was structured as a full‑asset or 100% ownership takeover, with Revolution Tea retaining its brand identity, Phoenix‑area presence, and founding team leadership under a new group structure. The deal brings together LIFEBRANDS’ global distribution platform and tea‑manufacturing infrastructure with Revolution Tea’s reputation for high‑quality ingredients and its established network of foodservice and retail operators. The strategic rationale centers on category and geographic complementarity. Revolution Tea offers a portfolio of over thirty tea blends focused on full‑leaf teas, herbs, real fruit, and natural flavours, which align with LIFEBRANDS’ emphasis on premium, sustainability‑oriented beverage brands. For LIFEBRANDS, Revolution Tea serves as a springboard into the US market, providing access to established distribution channels, operator relationships, and a scalable, ingredient‑driven product line that can be further expanded and re‑launched in new markets.

LANXESS AG has signed a binding agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Emerald Kalama Chemical from the US private equity firm American Securities LLC. This acquisition is a major strategic step for LANXESS, significantly strengthening its "Consumer Protection" segment by adding a complementary portfolio of high-margin preservatives and animal hygiene products. The deal also expands LANXESS's footprint in North America, which accounts for nearly half of the target's sales. The transaction is fully financed through LANXESS's existing liquidity and is expected to generate significant annual synergies within three years of completion.

Cronos Capital Partners, alongside a group of private investors, acquired a majority stake in Everton, the Genoese tea, herbal‑infusion, and soluble‑preparation manufacturer, via a newly formed vehicle funded primarily through a substantial capital increase aimed at financing international growth and M&A activity. The operation marked a shift from full family control (held by the Dodero‑Donelli group) to a majority‑backed, partnership‑style structure, with founding shareholders Filippo and Federico Dodero remaining in top management roles alongside the existing executive team to ensure continuity. The strategic rationale centers on Everton’s position as Italy’s leading private‑label tea producer, with over 500 SKUs, three production sites in Italy, India, and Croatia, and a joint venture in the US. For Cronos Capital Partners, Everton represents a resilient, anti‑cyclical, export‑oriented industrial platform in a consolidated yet fragmentation‑prone segment, with a clear playbook for growth via targeted acquisitions of other Italian and international operators in the same tea, infusion, and soluble‑beverage space. The transaction is therefore structured to unlock capital for both organic expansion (new production lines, capacity increases) and inorganic growth, while preserving the entrepreneurial and operational DNA of the founding family.

Ergon Capital, a mid-market private equity firm, has acquired a majority stake in the Millbo-BioNaturals Group. This deal represents a strategic play within the high-growth natural food ingredients sector, aimed at transforming a family-owned technical leader into a global institutional platform. The strategic rationale for the investment centers on leveraging Ergon’s international network and financial resources to accelerate the group's geographic expansion and to pursue a consolidation strategy in a highly fragmented market. The structure ensures strong management continuity, with the CEO and former controlling shareholder, Alessandro Boggiani, reinvesting in the business to drive the next phase of development. This transaction follows the buyer's existing sector expertise, notably its previous investment in the bakery segment.

Amsterdam Commodities N.V. (Acomo) has acquired the Global Ingredients business of SunOpta Inc. in a debt-free, cash-free transaction. This transformative acquisition adds Tradin Organic, a global leader in organic ingredients, to Acomo's existing portfolio of conventional commodities (spices, tea, seeds). For SunOpta, the divestiture represents a strategic pivot to focus exclusively on its high-growth, plant-based food and beverage manufacturing business. The deal proceeds were used by SunOpta to pay down debt and fund capacity expansion in plant-based milk production. The transaction adds approximately EUR450 million in revenue to Acomo and significantly expands its footprint in the "healthy and sustainable" food segment.

Platinum Equity acquired a controlling stake in Biscuit International from its previous shareholders (Qualium Investissement). The transaction positions Platinum Equity to support the company's aggressive buy-and-build strategy in the fragmented European private label market. With over EUR500 million in revenue, Biscuit International serves as a scalable platform to acquire other local biscuit manufacturers across Europe, leveraging Platinum's financial resources and operational expertise.