Unilever unsure what happens to Unox after blocked sale
Unilever's chief executive says he cannot yet say what will happen to the Unox sausage and soup brand after the competition authority ACM rejected its sale to Zwanenberg.
Unilever chief executive Fernando Fernandez cannot yet say what will happen to Unox, the sausage (rookworst) and soup brand, now that the competition watchdog ACM has rejected its sale to the company Zwanenberg. He spoke on Wednesday while presenting Unilever's results.
The ACM turned down the takeover earlier this week. It said the deal would have made Zwanenberg almost the only large supplier of smoked sausages (kookworsten) in the Netherlands.
“We are disappointed by the decision,” Fernandez said. “We had hoped for an outcome in which we could not only keep the brand and the production in the Netherlands, but also get the chance to further strengthen and expand production in Oss.”
Fernandez said he had been convinced that the solution the buyer proposed met the ACM's concerns sufficiently.
Unilever will now assess the decision carefully, he said. “We will consult the parties involved again and decide which follow-up steps are appropriate.”
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ACM (Autoriteit Consument & Markt)
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, the independent regulator that enforces competition law and consumer protection rules. It also regulates sectors such as energy, telecoms, transport and postal services.