The French brand Panzani is preparing to go under the Portuguese flag to form a European pasta giant

"Pasta, yes but Panzani"... The brand dominates the dry pasta market in France, with an emblematic advertising slogan created half a century ago. Panzani, which has already changed ownership several times over the decades, is preparing to go under the Portuguese flag.

Also read The number of business creations in France at its highest, despite weak growth forecasts The CVC fund, main shareholder of the French group Panzani, announced on Friday October 16 that it was entering into exclusive negotiations with Cerealis. Objective: the takeover of the brand by the Portuguese company to form a European pasta giant. All Panzani sites and 900 jobs in France would be preserved.

Bringing together complementary forces and not reducing costs The operation is presented as "offensive", with the aim of growing in Europe and not to reduce costs, while the two groups appear to be complementary geographically. Panzani is mainly established in France or the Netherlands, while Cerealis is established in Portugal, Spain or Poland. The two brands are also complementary in terms of activities: Panzani is more present in tomato sauces and Cerealis in breakfast cereals.

The French group will therefore keep all of its sites in France, with its factories in Marseille and Nanterre, and its head office in Lyon. The marriage will normally take place in the first half of the year.

Machine-translated from French