Mars (finally) receives green light from EU for Kellanova acquisition

After an in-depth investigation that took months, the European Commission has concluded that Mars‘ acquisition of Kellanova (the owner of Pringles and Kellogg’s) does not pose a risk to competition or consumers.

Unconditional approval

After the United States competition authorities gave the green light for the acquisition in June, the European Commission took six more months to give its unconditional approval on Monday to the acquisition of Kellanova (the group behind Pringles crisps and Kellogg’s breakfast cereals) by Mars (the manufacturer of brands like Ben’s Original, Mars, Snickers and Whiskas). This was confirmed today by both the European Commission and the manufacturer in a press release. As a result, Kellanova will disappear from the New York Stock Exchange.

The European approval came after months of investigation into Mars’ bargaining power towards European retailers. There were fears that the American multinational, through the integration of Kellanova’s strong brands, would be able to demand higher prices, which would ultimately be to the detriment of European consumers. Several retailers had shared their concerns about this. However, the Commission’s analysis does not indicate that the transaction would strengthen Mars’ bargaining position with retailers.