60 acquisitions in October

October was not an outstanding month for food and drink transactions, with 60 recorded on the bevblog.net mergers and acquisitions database, including 2 with a value over $500 million:

• 888 million euros for the packaging IPO of a 28% stake in Verallia of France

• $932 million in ingredients for One Rock private equity to buy Innophos in the United States.

Of the 60 total, 7 were in ingredients, 7 in soft drinks, 6 in alcohol, 5 in dairy, 5 in packaging, 4 in bakery and 4 in hot drinks. The combined free from number was 8 including 3 dairy-free and 2 meat-free.

10 were funding round investments.

34 were within national borders, 18 of these in the United States, 9 in the United Kingdom, 3 in Canada and 3 in France. 26 were international, involving 23 countries.

Among the 58, the United States figured in 28, the United Kingdom in 13, France in 7 and Ireland in 4.