Food group Kerry has bought two more beverage companies in the US for a total of $96m.
Oregon Chai is the leading US branded supplier of natural Chai Tea lattes and latte mixes, concentrates and ready to drink products. It serves specialist foodservice beverage chains, grocery, club and natural food store channels in the US and Canada.
Extreme Foods, based in Las Vagas, develops and markets ready to use ice blended flavoured beverages for the US foodservice industry. It produces ice-blended fruit smoothies and coffee frappes under the JetTea and JetCafe brand names.
'The acquisition of Oregon Chai and Extreme Foods complements the group's acquisitions of Stearns and Lehman and Da Vinci Gourmet in fast growing segments of the US branded beverage foodservice and natural foods sectors,' commented Hugh Friel, Kerry's Group CEO.
Earlier this month, Kerry agreed to buy food ingredients group Quest Ingredients from ICI for $440m. Quest has operations in 23 countries and also provides ingredients for the pharmaceutical, snack, bakery, dairy and confectionery markets.
Kerry shares slipped 10 cent to end at €14.75 in Dublin.
