Whole Foods Market has reached a deal with US regulators to extend the deadline for settlement talks, in the hope of resolving an antitrust case over the natural food retailer’s acquisition of Wild Oats Markets.


The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Whole Foods have been embroiled in a protracted legal battle over the 2007 acquisition of Wild Oats. The FTC has claimed the deal breaches competition regulations.


At the end of January, the FTC agreed to a five-day pause in the legal battle for settlement talks. This has now been extended for a further 30 days, with a deadline of 6 March set.


“Discussions with Whole Foods are ongoing,” a spokesperson for the FTC confirmed today (5 February). “We are working toward a mutually acceptable agreement. It is not yet clear whether this can be achieved.”


Whole Foods was unavailable for comment at time of press.

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