FrieslandCampina completes Zijerveld purchase

FrieslandCampina’s takeover of cheesemaker Zijerveld and associated packer Den Hollander Food (together: MYWO Food Group) has received the green light from the European Commission trade competition authority. The €400m per year turnover Zijerveld is adding a wide range of traditional North Holland and Dutch farmhouse cheeses to the Campina range, including pre-packed ware for private labels.

However, a requirement of the competition authority is that Zijerveld halts its cooperation with major goat milk cheese producer Amalthea, a cooperative producing some 70m kg goat milk annually. Around 40% of the resultant cheese and drink products are marketed through Zijerveld and now this share has to be offered to other trading concerns. Ironically, up until 2007 Campina cooperated with Amalthea and in fact processed and produced goat milk cheese for the cooperative. At that time, Campina left the partnership to concentrate more on cow milk products.

Amalthea teamed-up with cheesemaker Van Dijk which was building a 5000 tonne capacity cheese plant at Rijen. The subsequent Amalthea Van Dijk partnership offered a solid marketing network for goat cheeses including the very successful brand Chevagne. Zijerveld assumed part of the production and distribution. And this is the part of the business now having to be handed over by Campina.