Growth in the European food sector is expected to continue over the next 12 months, according to a new report from mergermarket.

The report, which is sponsored by the CMS alliance, includes a study of trends and activities in the industry based on the opinions of senior executives in the food sector from across Europe.

The key findings are:

92% of respondents expect growth prospects to be good or better over the next 12 months

  • the current trends towards healthy, organic and convenience foods will also persist in the near future
  • companies are expecting to grow both through M&A and organically
  • increased levels of private equity buy-outs are also expected in this sector.

We have also contributed an article to the report (page 19) which highlights some of the legal issues that face our food sector clients, including: the importance of brands as assets in M&A deals; the risks associated with food safety; and anti-trust concerns.

To download a copy of the report click here.

This article was written for Law-Now, CMS Cameron McKenna's free online information service. To register for Law-Now, please go to www.law-now.com/law-now/mondaq

Law-Now information is for general purposes and guidance only. The information and opinions expressed in all Law-Now articles are not necessarily comprehensive and do not purport to give professional or legal advice. All Law-Now information relates to circumstances prevailing at the date of its original publication and may not have been updated to reflect subsequent developments.

The original publication date for this article was 05/07/2007.