Jack Link’s Beef Jerky has entered into an agreement to acquire the meat snacks business of Unilever P.L.C. for an undisclosed amount. Included in the acquisition are the European brands Bifi, Benelux and Peperami and Unilever’s meat snacks manufacturing plant in Ansbach, Germany.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of March, according to Jack Link’s.
“Jack Link’s mission is to be the No. 1 provider of branded meat snacks throughout the world,” said Troy Link, chief executive officer of Jack Link’s. “This is an important step in delivering on that mission and we are excited to welcome the BiFi and Peperami brands into the family. These brands continue to drive growth in meat snacks in their respective territories and we look forward to working with all of our team members and retail partners to continue that success.”
Jan Zijderveld, president of Unilever Europe, said the pending divestment is part of his company’s effort to “sharpen its portfolio.”
In August of last year Unilever sold its Wish-Bone salad dressing business to Pinnacle Foods, and in January 2013 the company sold its Skippy brand of peanut butter to Hormel Foods Corp.
