By Ian Neubauer
French food giant Danone has attempted to quell speculation it is about to sell Frucor after announcing last week it was conducting a review of its Australasian soft drinks business.
“In light of the Group’s recent refocus on purity and naturality within its Waters division, Danone is conducting a thorough review of all potential long-term strategic options for Frucor to ensure ongoing value creation for all its stakeholders,” the company said in a statement released on Monday (September 1).
“The review process is still in an exploratory stage and no conclusions can be drawn yet. Conclusion of this process will be communicated in due time.”
Frucor is the second-largest non-alcoholic drinks company in New Zealand. It commands leading positions in the New Zealand juice market and Australasian energy drinks market with its hero product V.
Frucor employs over 600 people across New Zealand and Australia and its brand portfolio includes fruit juices, fruit drinks, energy drinks, waters and soft drinks.