The European Commission has given the green light to the acquisition of Ranks Hovis McDougall Group by Doughty Hanson & Co Limited.

Brussels does not think the takeover creates any competition concerns because the two parties are active in different sectors and so would not dominate any particular markets.

DHC is an equity fund manager that organises and administers investment funds on behalf of institutional and private investors.

The RHM group manufactures ambient, chilled and frozen food products. It has been sold by Tomkins, the UK guns-to-buns conglomerate which took almost a year to compete the disposal.