Acquisition closed
Lactalis acquires Anchor and 6 other brands (2026)
Lactalis completed the acquisition of Anchor and 6 other brands on 31 March 2026 for NZ$3.85 billion, buying from Fonterra.[1][2]
Fonterra sold its entire global consumer business to Lactalis, agreeing the sale in August 2025 for NZ$3.845 billion and completing it on 31 March 2026; resolving a separate dispute with Bega Cheese took total proceeds to NZ$4.22 billion. It moved a century of New Zealand household dairy brands, Anchor and Mainland among them, to a French family company in a single transaction, and turned Fonterra into a business-to-business supplier that now sells milk and ingredients to the buyer of its own brands under agreements running at least ten years. Fonterra kept the Anchor consumer brand in Greater China.
Deal facts
- Announced
- Closed
- Value
- NZ$3.85 billion (enterprise value)
- Buyer
- Lactalis
- Seller
- Fonterra
- Assets
- Anchor, Mainland, Anlene, Anmum, Kapiti, Perfect Italiano, Western Star
- Regulatory review
- None recorded
Ownership changes recorded from this deal
| Owner | Owned | Relationship | Stake | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lactalis | Anchor | owns | 100% | 2026-03-31 | present |
| Lactalis | Mainland | owns | 100% | 2026-03-31 | present |
| Lactalis | Anlene | owns | 100% | 2026-03-31 | present |
| Lactalis | Anmum | owns | 100% | 2026-03-31 | present |
| Lactalis | Kapiti | owns | 100% | 2026-03-31 | present |
| Lactalis | Perfect Italiano | owns | 100% | 2026-03-31 | present |
| Lactalis | Western Star | owns | 100% | 2026-03-31 | present |
Who owns these brands today?
Sources (2) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Fonterra completes sale of Mainland Group to Lactalis — Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, Official press release, published 31 March 2026; retrieved 16 September 2026.
- [2] Fonterra agrees sale of Consumer and associated businesses to Lactalis for $3.845 billion — Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, Official press release, published 22 August 2025; retrieved 16 September 2026.
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