Baxter’s pie buy clears OFT hurdle

THE Office of Fair Trading yesterday waved through the sale of the famous Fray Bentos canned pie brand to Scottish food group Baxters as a “remedy” for competition concerns around Liverpool-based Princes’ acquisition of the canning business of Premier Foods.

The Fray Bentos sale was announced in November. Production will move from Lincolnshire to Baxters’ factory at Fochabers, Moray.

As a result of the undertaking given to the OFT by Princes, the takeover of the canning business will not be referred to the Competition Commission.

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The OFT said: “This merger would have led to a near-monopoly in the provision of canned pies in the UK. However, the sale of the Fray Bentos brand to Baxters will restore pre- merger levels of competition.”

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