French dairy group Lactalis has confirmed that it is among the candidates in the running to acquire Unilever’s cheese brand Boursin.
A spokesman for the company said Lactalis believed French counterparts, Fromageries Bel and Bongrain, are also in the running to acquire the brand, along with Kraft and Denmark’s Arla Foods. The group expects the sale to be completed by the end of the year.
The spokesman went on to confirm a report in the French media which quoted Lactalis’ CEO Michel Léonard as saying that an asking price of EUR350m (US$496m) is very high and anything above this figure would be too expensive.
“It’s a very good brand and very profitable but above all it is French and the potential for develomment is limited. There are other candidates and we have no intention of getting involved in an auction,” Léonard said.

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