Paris, May 6 - As a condition for the approval of the acquisition of Numico, the European Commission required Groupe Danone to divest certain activities in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
This includes the baby milk and baby drink business of Numico in France, the export business of Bledina in Belgium and the Netherlands and the growing up milk brand “123” commercialized by Danone Belgium.
All these activities represent less than 3% of Groupe Danone's infant nutrition worldwide activities. In France, after having informed and consulted Numico's works council, Groupe Danone signed an agreement with the Lactalis Group to transfer the baby milk and baby drink business of Numico. Subject to both the approval of the European Commission and the authorization of the French Minister of Economy and Finance, the transaction could be closed in June 2008.
In Belgium and the Netherlands, an agreement was signed with the Hero Group to transfer the Bledina export business. This transaction could be closed in the coming weeks subject to the approval of the European Commission.
In addition, Groupe Danone has finalized the sale in Benelux of the brand “123” to the Lactalis Group on April 30th 2008.
Groupe Danone, the worldwide leader in healthy food.
Groupe Danone is a Fortune 500 company and one of the most successful healthy food companies in the world. Its mission is to bring health through tasty, nutritious and affordable food and beverage products to as many people as possible. Fulfilling this mission is a major contributor to the Groupe's continuous fast growth. Groupe Danone with 150 plants and around 76 000 employees has a presence in all five continents and over 120 countries. In 2007, Groupe Danone recorded 12.7 billion euros sales.
Groupe Danone enjoys leading positions on healthy food on four businesses: fresh dairy products (n°1 worldwide), waters (n° 2 on the packaged water market), baby nutrition (n°2 worldwide) and medical nutrition. Listed on Euronext Paris, Groupe Danone is also ranked among the main index of social responsibility: Dow Jones Sustainability Index Stoxx and World, ASPI Eurozone and Ethibel Sustainability index.