JBS to acquire plant-based meat producer Vivera for €341m

Brazilian meat manufacturer JBS has agreed to acquire plant-based meat producer Vivera in a deal worth approximately €341 million.

Netherlands-based Vivera is the third-largest manufacturer of plant-based food products in Europe. The company sells meat alternative products such as burgers, chicken alternatives and mince alternatives in 25 countries across the continent, including The Netherlands, the UK and Germany.

The acquisition includes three manufacturing units and a research and development centre located in The Netherlands.

In a statement, JBS claimed that it plans to manage Vivera “as a standalone business unit”, with Vivera’s current leadership team remaining in place.

This purchase comes as JBS seeks to enhance its presence in the plant-based food category, which is estimated to grow exponentially due to increasing consumer demand for plant-based products such as meat alternatives due to the increase of flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan eating habits.

JBS has already released a number of plant-based products to meet this demand, notably through its Seara subsidiary’s Incrível range in Brazil, while the firm’s Planterra unit has debuted a number of plant-based products through its Ozo brand in the US.

Gilberto Tomazoni, global CEO of JBS, said: “This acquisition is an important step to strengthen our global plant-based protein platform.

“Vivera will give JBS a stronghold in the plant-based sector, with technological knowledge and capacity for innovation”.

Willem van Weede, CEO of Vivera, added: “Joining forces with JBS gives us access to significant resources and capabilities to accelerate our current strong growth trajectory and Vivera brand expansion.