McCormick will look to secure a co-packing deal for the wet marinades products it has acquired from Unilever, as the company makes its entrance into the category.
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The US-based spice and seasonings group has snapped up the Lawry’s seasonings business in the US and Canada from Unilever for US$605m.
The deal, which remains subject to regulatory approval, includes the range of seasonings blends and wet marinades under the Lawry’s and Adolph’s brands.
Under the deal, Unilever will retain its manufacturing facility in Independence, Missouri, which produces certain other brands owned by the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate.
A McCormick spokesperson said the company would acquire a number of production lines from Unilever to expand its capacity to produce the Lawry’s seasonings products.
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By GlobalDataHowever, she added that McCormick would look to sign a co-packing deal for the wet marinades products.
“Lawry’s gives us an entry into the wet marinades category [but] we have no set capacity to produce these products. We would look for companies who have co-packed other types of wet marinades,” the spokesperson told just-food today (14 November).
For Unilever, the sale marks the company’s latest step to sell “non-strategic brands”. Earlier this month, Unilever sold cheese brand Boursin to French cheese maker Le Groupe Bel for EUR400m (US$588.4m).
“This transaction takes us a step forward as we continue to reshape our portfolio in North America by sharpening our focus on building strong brands with global reach,” said Unilever Americas president Michael Polk.
Unilever is looking to streamline its business worldwide, a strategy that will see it sell off businesses worth EUR2bn.
