According to the Commission, “the transaction would not adversely affect competition in the EU Single Market”.

In June, Larry Goodman’s ABP Food Group announced a 50:50 joint venture with Linden Food Group.

The European Commission was notified of the ABP/Linden deal on 25 August 2017.

The deal means that ABP will acquire a 50% stake in Linden, to include facilities in Dungannon (slaughter and retail packing), an abattoir at Burradon, England, and high-end meat supplier, Kettyle Irish Foods, in Fermanagh.

As part of the process, it is understood that Linden’s majority shareholder, Fane Valley Co-op, has acquired the remaining shares in Linden held by the Waugh family, and then moved to complete the proposed deal with ABP, leaving both parties with 50%.

The European Commission investigated the following three areas:

1: The potential impact on the market for the purchasing of live animals for slaughter.

2: The downstream markets relating to the sale of fresh and processed meat.

3: The collection of animal by-products generated by slaughtering activities.

In all three cases the Commission found that “the proposed transaction would raise no competition concerns on any of the markets concerned”.

This deal comes two years after ABP and Linden entered into a 50:50 joint venture in Slaney Foods in the Republic of Ireland.

Dawn-Dunbia deal

This deal comes just days after the Irish Competition Authority cleared the way for Dawn Meats to take over Dunbia’s two plants in the Republic of Ireland and a new joint venture would bring together their businesses across the UK.

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