US-based dairy giant Dean Foods has been ordered to sell the Waukesha milk processing plant it acquired in 2009, including the brands. The US Department of Justice and attorneys general in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin filed a proposed consent decree, citing anti-trust concerns. A federal lawsuit filed in 2010 said Dean’s ownership of the plant could adversely affect the price of milk for retailers throughout Wisconsin.
The complaint said the purchase resulted in Dean having nearly 60 per cent of the fluid-milk sales in Wisconsin, Illinois and Upper Michigan.Dean will have 90 days to sell the plant. If it does not, the court will appoint a trustee to do so. The buyer will have access to all plant assets, including the Golden Guernsey and La Vaca Bonita brands.