In the first six months of the year there were 333 global transactions with dairy alternative, supplement and beverage deals leading the way, according to deal broker and facilitator, Nutrition Capital Network (NCN).
For the whole of 2015 there were 627 transactions, 6% less than this year if the current rate is maintained until year's end.
Along with venture capitalists, institutional and single investors, industry splurge came from the likes of Coca-Cola, General Mills, Hershey, General Mills, Hormel Foods, Balchem and Probi.
Chinese buy-in is increasing and Xiwang Foodstuffs $730m (€660m) takeover of Canadian multi-market, multi-brand supplements player Iovate Health Services was the biggest transaction in the period.
Coke’s $575m (€520m) purchase of Argentinian-based latin American soy drink giant AdeS, was the next biggest deal.
Other notable deals included:
- Swedish probiotics player Probi paying $105m (€92m) for US probiotics delivery and technology player, Nutraceutix.
- General Mills 301 (its business development and ventures arm) investing $18m (€16.25) in Lyrical Foods-owned almond-based cheese and yoghurt specialist, Kite Hill (San Francisco).
- Hormel Foods throwing $286m (€258m) at Colorado firm Justin’s Nut Butter.
- New York based food, nutrition, feed and pharma firm Balchem paying $112m (€101m) for mineral amino acid chelates specialist Albion International.
- Investment in premium soft drink firms Q Drinks and Spindrift.
- Investment in kombucha, aloe vera drinks and cleansing drinks firms Health-Ade, LA Aloe and Daily Greens.
- Investment in cricket protein firm Exo.
- Hershey paying an undisclosed sum for snack chocolate barkTHINS out of New York.