Dutch Regulator Rejects Unilever's Sale of Unox Assets to Zwanenberg

08:45 AM EDT, 10/27/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Unilever (UL) proposed sale of assets related to its Unox brand to Zwanenberg was blocked by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, the regulator said Tuesday. The regulator said the proposed acquisition would make Zwanenberg "practically the only major supplier of smoked sausages and boiled sausages" in Dutch supermarkets. "Zwanenberg would also have gained too strong a position in the market for ambient wet soups" with a market share of around 60% to 85%, the regulator said. It added that it wanted to avoid the "risk that Zwanenberg could have used this strong market position to charge supermarkets higher prices." "That is an undesirable prospect, especially in a time when the public already has many concerns about higher food prices," Martijn Snoep, chairman of the regulator's board, said. The regulator also added that any proposed remedies were "insufficient" to remove ACM's concerns about price increases. The companies may appeal the decision, the regulator said. A Unilever spokesperson said the company was "very disappointed" by the decision and will review the ruling before determining its next steps. "We fully stand behind the proposal that was put forward and remain convinced that it provides a robust and workable solution to address the concerns raised by the ACM," they said. Zwanenberg accused the regulator of providing no evidence that it competes with Unox. "These markets are totally different," the company said in an emailed statement, adding that the regulator made a "crucial error" in assessing proposed remedies. Zwanenberg said it is considering an appeal.