File photo of soy-based milk alternatives. (SherSor/iStock/Getty Images)

Lactalis to shift from milk to near-milk at Sudbury

Facility to halt fluid milk processing, switch to plant-based product lines

Reading Time: 2 minutes The processor of the Beatrice and Lactantia milk brands plans to put its fluid milk processing plant in northern Ontario over to plant-based dairy substitutes. The Canadian arm of France’s Lactalis said Wednesday it will stop fluid milk processing and packaging at its plant at Sudbury effective Sept. 30 and convert that plant to a […] Read more


(CNW Group/Ultima Foods)

Lactalis to buy Agropur’s yogurt business

Deal to include two processing plants, major yogurt brands

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian dairy co-operative Agropur has reached a deal to sell its yogurt processing business and plants to the Canadian arm of French dairy giant Groupe Lactalis. The deal, as announced Thursday, will include Agropur’s plants at Granby, Que. and Delta, B.C. plus the operations at a distribution centre it leases at Longueuil, Que. Financial terms […] Read more

Kraft’s Canadian grated cheese lines are among the businesses going to Lactalis for US$3.2 billion. (KraftWhatsCooking.ca)

Kraft Heinz to sell several cheese businesses to Lactalis

Canadian grated cheese lines among assets going for US$3.2 billion

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Kraft Heinz said on Tuesday that it will sell several of its cheese businesses to a U.S. affiliate of France’s Groupe Lactalis for US$3.2 billion. After weak sales results and several billion-dollar writedowns over the past two years, there has been market speculation about which categories Kraft Heinz will offload from […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Lactalis short of threshold to delist Parmalat

Reading Time: < 1 minute Milan | Reuters — France’s Lactalis failed to reach the 90 per cent stake in Parmalat it required to proceed to delist the Italian food company in the last day of a buyout offer, a filing by the Milan bourse showed Tuesday. Lactalis, the world’s largest dairy firm, bought 15.11 per cent of the shares […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Lactalis offer for Italy’s Parmalat seen too low

Reading Time: 2 minutes Milan | Reuters — Parmalat activist investor Amber Capital believes the price of a buyout offer by France’s Lactalis undervalues the Italian dairy group and won’t be tendering its three per cent stake. Lactalis, which won control of Parmalat in 2011 amid failed efforts in Italy to mount a domestic counter bid, has launched an […] Read more