The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened a review Oct. 29 into ABP Food Group Unlimited's acquisition of an indirect minority stake in Extra Detail Limited, bringing the food-sector transaction under U.K. competition scrutiny.
Extra Detail wholly owns Dovecote Park Limited. The case is classified in food manufacturing, and the CMA is assessing whether the deal qualifies as a merger under the Enterprise Act 2002. If it does, the authority will assess whether the deal may substantially weaken competition in a U.K. market.
Interested parties can send written comments by Nov. 12. The CMA set Dec. 27 as the deadline for its Phase 1 decision and says the statutory timetable can be extended in limited circumstances.
The authority served an initial enforcement order on Sept. 17. It requires the Acquirer Group and Extra Detail to keep their operations separate during the review unless the CMA gives written consent.
