Italian food group Barilla has signed a deal to sell its German bakery group Lieken to Agrofert, the Czech Republic’s largest food maker.

The sale, for an undisclosed sum, will allow Barilla to focus its attentions on growing its core business, it said today (25 February).

“Our strategy, announced in June 2012, when we decided to look for a new shareholder for Lieken, is to grow in pasta, sauces and ready meals worldwide, and to strengthen our branded bakery business in core countries,” said Barilla chairman Guido Barilla. “I am pleased that a new strategic owner for Lieken has been found.”

Barilla had put Dusseldorf-based Lieken up for sale in June in order to focus on pasta and higher-margin food products. Months later, it opened a EUR40m (US$51.7m) pasta sauce facility in Italy.

The company bought Lieken in 2002 as part of its acquisition of another bakery chain, Kamps.

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