No more biscuit at Danone

The French Danone – owner of Gyõri Keksz – is thinking about a potential sale of its biscuit business to Kraft or Kellog, its US rivals.

Danone's management was expected to clarify the future of
its biscuits and cereal products division in a meeting with French staff
representatives. A deal would massively increase Kraft's presence in Europe and
could be worth €3,5bn.
Danone's decision to close two biscuit factories in France in 2001 provoked
calls for a boycott. Fears of a foreign takeover bid for Danone in 2005 also
led to nationalistic outbursts from French politicians.

The possibility of Danone leaving the biscuit industry
provoked speculation that the French company might have its own acquisition
plans, with Wimm-Bill-Dann, the Russian dairy and juice group, and Numico, the
Dutch baby food maker, mentioned as possible targets.