AUSTRALIA – American snack food company Mondelēz International is once again doubling down on efforts to expand its snack portfolio through global acquisitions.

In its latest move, the company has announced the acquisition of Australian premium cracker company Gourmet Food Holdings, for an undisclosed amount.

FoodBev reported that the move to purchase Gourmet Food, which includes brands such as OB finest, Olina’s Bakehouse and Crispbic, will strengthen Mondelēz’s position in the premium biscuit and cracker category.

Previously, Mondelēz has highlighted its intentions to strengthen its position in the high-growth snacking sector and has made a number of recent acquisitions including Hu Master Holdings, Give & Go, and Perfect Snacks.

Gourmet is the recent jewel to the company’s growing portfolio and will strengthen the company’s leadership position, particularly in Australia and New Zealand where it supplies on-trend products that span the health and wellness categories.

Mondelēz has a presence in Australia and New Zealand where it distributes its iconic biscuit brands such as Oreo and belVita.

Its chocolate brand Cadbury is also reported to have a leading position in these markets.

Commenting on the acquisition, Dirk Van de Put, chairman and CEO of Mondelēz said: “This is a great strategic asset for us in a very important market.

With, this acquisition, we will accelerate our broader snacking leadership in Australia and New Zealand.”

Oliver Flint, current COO of Gourmet Food, has been appointed as the company’s managing director while co-founder and CEO Todd Wilson will remain with the business as an advisor.

A statement from Mondelēz said that the company will provide Gourmet Food with “resources to accelerate growth while leveraging its manufacturing, research and development capabilities”.

“With fast-growing premium and wellbeing products, strong customer relationships and agile, local manufacturing, these brands will be a great complement to our local portfolio,” said Maurizio Brusadelli, Mondelēz EVP and president, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

“We are excited to welcome Oliver, Todd and the entire Gourmet Food team to our organisation,” Brusadelli added.

Gourmet Food’s pre-packaged seafood business, including the Ocean Blue brand, is included in the transaction which is expected to close in April.

Meanwhile, during in an interview with an American media house, Mondelēz CEO Dirk Van de Put said that for 2030, he envisions a modernized food company that’s both transparent and sustainable for its customers and employees.

Van de Put continued by saying that ESG investing is the main thing shareholders are interested in when evaluating a company apart from its financial performance

The Chicago-based food giant is taking part by focusing on areas its business operations can directly impact.

The company has, for instance, set goals that include making 100% of its packaging recyclable, efforts toward sustainable ingredients for its chocolate brands, due diligence on child labor, and the inclusion of portion guidance on its products to promote healthy eating which it aims to achieve by 2025.

Liked this article? Subscribe to Food Business Africa News, our regular email newsletters with the latest news insights from Africa and the World’s food and agro industry. SUBSCRIBE HERE