BelGioioso to acquire cheese producer Polly-O

US company BelGioioso Cheese is expanding its dairy footprint with the acquisition of cheesemaker Polly-O from Kraft Heinz and Lactalis Group.

Founded in New York in 1899, Polly-O is a producer of Italian cheeses. The company achieved net sales of around $177 million in 2020.

“We are thrilled to add the Polly-O brand to our portfolio and want to thank the teams at Kraft Heinz and Lactalis Group for their assistance and dedication to finalising the agreement in such a short time,” said BelGioioso Cheese’s president, Errico Auricchio. “I am confident this will benefit consumers thanks to healthy competition in the category as a result of this acquisition.”

Last year, Kraft Heinz sold Polly-O to Lactalis Group for $3.2 billion, as part of a previously announced natural cheese transaction. Following an antitrust review by the US Department of Justice, Lactalis Group agreed to sell Polly-O to BelGioioso Cheese.

BelGioioso’s purchase is subject to final approval by US regulators and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.