The clearance comes more than a year and a half after Vandemoortele agreed to acquire Délifrance, creating one of Europe’s largest frozen bakery groups.
The commission approved the vertical merger subject to conditions aimed at preserving competition in the flour market, protecting rival bakeries and limiting merger-related job losses.
Lifting these restrictions marks a shift from a policy focused primarily on domestic supply protection to greater participation in international markets.
The legally binding divestiture package serves as the mandatory structural remedy required to clear Vandemoortele’s acquisition of French frozen bakery peer Délifrance.
If approved, the ingredient would provide manufacturers with another source of vibrant yellow color derived from an edible plant rather than petroleum-based synthetic colorants.