Food companies are prioritising wellness and protein, this year’s acquisitions suggest, while divestitures by FMCG conglomerates and specialty chemicals players highlight a trend towards streamlining.
To date, 2026 has seen some major names take a step back from food. March closed with the announcement that Unilever and McCormick & Company had inked an agreement to combine the Unilever Foods business with McCormick.
Upon completion, the deal will position Unilever as a pure-play health and personal care company and create, under spice and sauces maker McCormick, a global flavour leader with US$20bn in combined revenue.
The merger, which impacts household names including Knorr, Hellmann’s and Marmite, is currently undergoing competition and antitrust reviews by global watchdogs, but is expected to close in mid-2027.
Flavours and fragrances giant IFF announced, in May, that it would likewise be selling its Food Ingredients Business to funds advised by CVC Capital Partners. The divested business is a global leader in texturants, emulsifiers and plant-based solutions.
A month later, the food ingredients industry learned of US firm Ingredion’s intention to buy Britain's Tate & Lyle, a move expected to broaden Ingredion’s ingredients platform in texturants, sugar reduction and fortification, in particular.
Also in June, an affiliate of private investment firm Peak Rock announced it had completed the acquisition of Dalziel, a Scotland-based company that manufactures and distributes savoury flavours and seasonings, as well as meat solutions and sundries to the food industry.
Healthy nutrition attracts investment
Beyond ingredients, a major shake-up at the start of the year was the purchase of select assets of bankrupt canned fruit and vegetable company Del Monte Foods by the unrelated Fresh Del Monte for $285m. The transaction reunites the Del Monte brand under a single owner for the first time in nearly four decades.
Danone cemented its position in the healthy nutrition space with its acquisitions of plant-based nutrition brand Huel (announced in March) and Australia-based MADE Group in June, best known for its ready-to-drink protein products, gut health yoghurts and coconut-based products.
Wellness has likewise been a focus for Italy’s Ferrero Group, which, in August, announced a deal to acquire Purely Elizabeth, a US wellness brand specialising in granola, oatmeal and cereals, hot on the heels of its February decision to buy Bold Snacks, a leading Brazilian protein snack company.
Nuts, seeds, dried fruit and protein bites brand Terrasoul Superfoods was snapped up by Laird Superfood in a $48m April transaction, while Babybel maker Bel Group announced in May that it intended to onboard Ingenuity Foods’ Brainiac and Little Brainiac brands, which develop snacks to support brain building in kids and families.
Also in the snack space, Germany’s Intersnack Group, in June, announced that it would be buying US salty snacks maker Utz brands in a $2.9bn deal.
Another significant manoeuvre in snacks was Hershey Company’s March decision to unify its US business under one commercial operating model. The integration brings together the company’s sweet, salty and protein brand portfolios to operate as one with the aim of unlocking deeper consumer connections.
Dressings and dips maker The Marzetti Company announced in February that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire fast-growing Japanese-American barbecue sauce brand Bachan’s.
And La Doria, which manufactures long shelf-life Italian private label specialties, including tomatoes, ready-to-use sauces, canned pulses and pasta, revealed in June that it would be purchasing 100% of Italian tomato processing specialist the Solana Group.
Meat, dairy & seafood moves
In packaged meats, Smithfield Foods, a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s WH Group Limited, announced at the start of the year its acquisition of American hot dog icon Nathan’s Famous, whose products it had been licensed to manufacture, distribute, market and sell in the US, Canada and Sam’s Clubs in Mexico since 2014.
Last month, protein processing company Pilgrim’s Europe shared its intention to buy Walkers Deli & Sausage Company – a UK producer of premium pork products – from Samworth Brothers, in a bid to enhance Pilgrim’s footprint in the UK.
Also in August, Dutch seafood group Zalmhuys acquired a majority stake in importer BML Food Group to strengthen its position in the European seafood market, adding BML’s extensive shrimp expertise to the group.
And Egg industry player Cal-Maine Foods signed an agreement in April to acquire Echo Lake Foods, a maker of ready-to-eat egg products and breakfast foods, enabling the firm to enter the value-added food portion of the egg category.
In August, French dairy giant Lactalis announced that it would acquire the UK dairy division of Canadian group Saputo, a transaction that includes five manufacturing facilities, as well as local brands Cathedral City, Wensleydale, Davidstow, Clover and Country Life. The news came just a month after Lactalis announced it had reached a deal with Agropur, another Canadian firm, to acquire its fine cheese division.
Indeed, it has been a busy year for the family-owned company, which also announced, in June, the finalisation of its acquisition of Protein Works, a UK-based company specialising in active nutrition products.
