The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has approved Arla Foods Ingredients’ acquisition of Volac’s Whey Nutrition business, Volactive.
The regulator’s go-ahead follows an evaluation that took place after the two companies signed an acquisition agreement on April 18, 2024.
Speaking on the acquisition, Group Vice President and Managing Director of Arla Foods Ingredients, Luis Cubel said:
“This is a very welcome decision at a time when demand for high quality whey ingredients is growing.
“It means we’re a step closer to a significant acquisition that would consolidate our position as a leader in the whey nutrition space.
“We will now move forward with the formal process necessary to make Volac’s Whey Nutrition business part of Arla Foods Ingredients.
“Once that is complete, we will be able to comment further on the many advantages of bringing together these two major manufacturers of whey ingredients – not just for both companies, but also for our customers and the industry as a whole.”
Volac is a family owned business run by the Nevilles, which primarily specialises in the production of animal nutrition products, including feed additives, feed fats, forage preservatives and products for young animal health, including milk replacers.
Their whey nutrition subsidiary, Volactive, manufactures whey protein isolates, which are the protein dense derivatives of the dairy industry.
The English company has an international outreach with four production facilities in the UK as well as bases in the U.S, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Arla Foods Ingredients
“We were always confident that Arla Foods Ingredients had the necessary expertise and values to take our Whey Nutrition business to the next level, and we are delighted to have reached this important step in the acquisition process.
“It’s great news for Volac Whey Nutrition, and for the whey ingredients sector, that these two innovative companies have been allowed to join forces,” joint owner of Volac, James Neville said.
Arla Foods Ingredients is headquartered in Denmark and is a subsidiary of Arla Foods – an international dairy company owned by more than 8,400 farmers from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
It comprises of a number of international brands focusing on early life nutrition, medical nutrition, sports nutrition, health foods, and other foods and beverages.
In 2023, the global sports nutrition market size was valued at $45.24 billion (€42.37 billion), and was expected to expand by a further 7.5% in 2024, according to data analytics site, Grand View Research.
