Bonduelle wants to sell its French and German lettuce plants

Bonduelle wants to sell its packaged salad divisions in France and Germany. Due to a significant drop in demand, the group is already in talks with two potential buyers.

Structural decline

Earlier this month, Bonduelle had already admitted that volumes were under pressure, with sales of fresh food (packaged salads and delicatessen products) in particular falling. In France and Germany, however, the fruit and vegetable processor says the decline is structural and due to increasing competition from private labels, and is exacerbated by inflation. The company is scaling back its activities in both countries, reports Just Food.

In France, the “Bonduelle Frais France” division is reducing its workforce: the headquarters is being restructured and activities at the Saint-Mihiel site are being discontinued. Exclusive negotiations are already underway with the salad producer Les Crudettes about taking over the French packaged salad business. In Germany, talks are also underway with the US salad producer Taylor Farms about taking over its German salad business.

Focus on other activities

“These projects are necessary to preserve jobs at the Bonduelle Group’s sites in France and Europe. They will enable us to refocus on Bonduelle’s other business areas, allowing the Group to further develop its activities in the fresh delicatessen, canned and frozen food markets in these regions,” the company said.

The group is currently also reviewing its salad business in North America. Only in Italy did sales of packaged salads increase in the last quarter. How many jobs will be affected by the restructuring has not yet been announced.