ARGENTINA – Arla Food Ingredients, a subsidiary of dairy cooperative Arla has acquired 100% of the shares in Arla Foods Ingredients S.A (AFISA) to support the company’s ambition for market growth in South American region.
Arla has bought the stake from the members of the Argentinian dairy cooperative SanCor who have agreed to sell their 50% stake in AFISA as part of their plan to restructure SanCor, ending a 17 year joint ownership of the dairy.
Arla has not disclosed the value of the deal.
“SanCor and Arla Foods Ingredients have agreed amicably that it is now time to move forward with our businesses separately.
For Arla Foods Ingredients this is a unique opportunity for continued strategic growth in our whey business in general and specifically in South America; and AFISA will become a significant element in Arla Foods Ingredients’ global supply chain,” said Henrik Andersen, Senior Vice President in Arla Foods Ingredients.
With, Arla Foods has built a global leader in value-added whey ingredients. From
Arla Foods Ingredients produces whey-based ingredients used for a wide range of products such as infant nutrition, baking, dairy, medical applications and sports nutrition, from what was once a waste product from cheese production, says Arla.
AFISA was founded in 2001 and has been jointly owned by Arla Foods Ingredients and the Argentinian dairy cooperative SanCor, located in the Argentinian province of Cordoba.
The dairy processes approximately 900 million kilograms of whey every year, which makes it the largest whey processor in Argentina and the South American trade bloc, Mercosur, according to Arla.
