Food group Kerry has announced two acquisitions in France and the US.
It is paying $26m for Ohio-based beverage flavourings group Stearns & Lehman, which had sales of $20m last year.
The business is one of the world's leading flavouring syrup manufacturers and has facilities in the US and Canada. It is also planning to open a new plant in Britain.
Kerry is also buying France's Aromont for around _20m. The company makes ingredients and sauces for the European ready meals and food service industries.
Kerry's Managing Director Hugh Friel said the addition of Stearns was an exciting new development for the group, given the expansion of international specialty coffee markets. The Aromont acquisition would also complement Kerry's recent purchase of Britain's Voyager Foods.
Kerry spent around 600 million euro on acquisitions last year.
