UK dairy firm Express Dairies has said that trading so far this year has been in line with expectations, despite a challenging market background.

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At the company’s annual general meeting, Sir David Naish, chairman, said: “On 7 July, the Competition Minister announced that he had decided to refer the proposed merger with Arla UK to the Competition Commission.

“As stated in our preliminary announcement, we consider it prudent that stand alone plans to address volume and cost issues remain on hold until the regulatory picture is clear. This delay will therefore continue to restrain our profitability for the next few months.

“The board, however, remains optimistic of a satisfactory outcome to the regulatory process to the benefit of all stakeholders. Pre merger planning with Arla UK has been encouraging and reinforces further the board’s optimism regarding the prospects for the new group,” Naish concluded.

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Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

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Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

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