July 18/Minneapolis/Star-Tribune -- Kerry Group has confirmed that it is in talks with Cargill, to acquire its global flavors business. The talks are expected to last four to six weeks. 

Kerry’s food ingredients business supplies more than 15,000 products to customers in more than 140 countries. The acquisition would provide a boost to its business, bringing Cargill’s production facilities in Europe, North America and Asia. Cargill’s flavors business spans 22 countries and provides ingredients and flavors for dairy, sweet and savory categories and beverages.

Kerry Group chief executive Stan McCarthy said, “Kerry is a leading global food ingredients and flavous provider and a leader in development and delivery of consumer preferred taste solutions. The acquisition of Cargill Flavor Systems would again advance Kerry’s capability to provide unrivalled innovative integrated customer solutions across all food and beverage end-use-markets and extend the group’s market spread in emerging markets.” 

From the July 18, 2011,Prepared Foods' Daily News.