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F&B M&A activity up 41% on 5 years ago
21 Jan 20202019 broke records again for the number of food and drink transactions around the world, with 789 registered on Zenith Global's mergers and acquisitions database, an average of 15 each week.
The total is 12 more than in 2018 and 41% higher than 5 years ago. The number has increased every year since a dip in 2013.
The most active sectors were ingredients on 65, dairy on 63, soft drinks on 57 and packaging on 49. Beer on 38 was ahead of spirits on 35 and wine on 28.
The top 15 sectors were the same as in 2018, with the exception of CBD replacing confectionery. The combination of plant-based (15) with dairy-free (14) and meat-free (11) totalled 40. Bottled water and water coolers added up to 23. Vertical farming was a newcomer with 8.
The biggest increases were for CBD (+19) and beer (+15). Many of the main categories saw declines, led by services (-19), confectionery (-18) and wine (-9).
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