Emmi said yesterday that it will acquire a minority stake in Kaiku, said to be the number two player in the premium segment of fresh dairy products in Spain.
The firms will jointly market and distribute innovative fresh products in Spain and Latin America. Kaiku already has subsidiaries in Brazil, Mexico and Chile, and is looking to gradually expand its Latin American business.
The deal will boost Emmi's international distribution of brands like the cholesterol-lowering Benecol and blood pressure-lowering Evolus, as well as other functional food concepts.
Kaiku also markets Evolus products in Spain, selling them under the Kaiku Vita brand, and has a range of other functional dairy products.
Under the deal, Emmi will become the largest individual shareholder in Kaiku beside the Spanish company Iparlat and join Kaiku's management.