Ronkonkoma, N.Y., March 20 - NBTY, Inc., a leading global manufacturer and marketer of nutritional supplements, today announced that its acquisition of Julian Graves has been referred in the United Kingdom by the Office of Fair Trading to the Competition Commission.
NBTY's subsidiary, NBTY Europe, purchased Julian Graves, a chain of 350 food and confectionary stores in the U.K., on September 16, 2008, for approximately $25 million USD.
As previously announced, the Julian Graves acquisition was the subject of an inquiry from the Office of Fair Trading for potential anti-trust implications. In conjunction with this inquiry, Julian Graves has not been integrated with the Company's European operations.
According to the Office of Fair Trading, the Competition Commission is expected to report by September 3, 2009.