Mondelēz International has acquired the market-leading brand in the US free-from snacking segment for an undisclosed price.
Illinois-based Enjoy Life Foods manufactures gluten-free cookies, chocolates, snack bars and savoury snacks. Its allergy-friendly product portfolio is free from wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish and shellfish – the eight most common allergens that account for up to 90% of total food allergies.
Mondelēz International’s chief growth officer, Mark Clouse, said: “As we focus on continuing to drive growth in snacking, the acquisition of Enjoy Life Foods is a great strategic fit for us.
“The Enjoy Life brand expands our portfolio into faster growing, on-trend, ‘better-for-you’ areas and provides an excellent platform to make these delicious offerings available to consumers with ‘free-from’ needs or simply looking for healthy lifestyle options, both in the US and beyond.”
Mondelēz claimed that an increasing incidence of food allergies and adoption of free-from as a lifestyle option had led to strong growth in the free-from market, reported to be worth up to $12bn.
Enjoy Life Foods CEO and founder Scott Mandell added: “We’re thrilled! As we combine our great brand, market leadership and passion for our consumers with the global resources, scale and marketing expertise of Mondelēz International, I’m confident this relationship will enable us to reach even greater heights.”
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