Anglo-Dutch consumer goods maker Unilever today confirmed the sale of their meat snacks business to American rival Jack Link's for an undisclosed sum.
Unilever's German-made sausage snack, marketed with the tag line, "a bit of an animal", is primarily sold under the Bifi and Peperami brands in Europe. It is sold as Bifi in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. And in the UK and Ireland it is known as Peperami. The sale includes manufacturing unit in Ansbach, Germany.
"As we continue to sharpen our portfolio to deliver sustainable growth for Unilever, we believe that the potential of these two brands can now be more fully realized with Jack Link's," Jan Zijderveld, Unilever Europe President, said.
"Bifi and Peperami are two iconic local brands," he added.
US firm Jack's Link's launch the main rival to Peperami in the UK, X-Stix and X-Bites in 2009.
Its chief executive Troy Link said: "Jack Link's mission is to be the number one provider of branded meat snacks throughout the world. This acquisition is a significant step in delivering on that mission."
It was reported late last year that a number of European companies were interested in buying Bifi, including Kerry Group and that Unilever was mulling a £1 billion sale of its SlimFast weight loss range.
© 2014 - European Supermarket Magazine by Enda Dowling
