Unilever announces $20bn foods business combination deal with McCormick & Company

      Unilever has announced an agreement to combine Unilever’s Foods business with McCormick, forming a global flavour-focused entity with combined revenues of approximately $20 billion based on fiscal year 2025 data.     The transaction will bring together established brands including Knorr, Hellmann’s and McCormick, alongside growth-oriented brands such as Cholula, Maille and …

The Coca-Cola system announces R17.6 billion investment in South Africa

      The The Coca-Cola Company and its authorised bottling partners, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa and Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages, have announced a planned investment of R17.6 billion (approximately $1 billion) in South Africa through 2030.     The announcement was made at the South Africa Investment Conference in Johannesburg by Luis Felipe Avellar, president …

Liberia to establish first national packaging centre to support SME competitiveness

  Liberia is set to establish its first dedicated packaging facility under the Liberia Special Economic Zones Authority (LSEZA), in a move aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and improving the quality of locally produced goods.     The facility, to be known as Liberia Packaging Solutions (LPS), will provide …

African LNG projects gain strategic relevance as Europe seeks supply stability

Europe’s gas supply strategy is facing renewed strain amid rising geopolitical risks and tightening global LNG markets, shifting attention toward African liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects that were sanctioned prior to current disruptions and are now nearing or entering production. These projects are increasingly viewed as near-term supply options, offering available or soon-to-be-available volumes without …

$10.3 billion Sealed Air acquisition approved by stockholders, with implications for Middle East and GCC packaging markets

    Stockholders of Sealed Air have approved the company’s proposed acquisition by an affiliate of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice(CD&R), marking a key step toward the completion of the $10.3 billion transaction that will take the global packaging supplier private.     The approval was confirmed during a special meeting of stockholders held on February 25, 2026. The transaction remains …

CCL Industries signs agreement to acquire Sleever International to strengthen sleeve labelling portfolio

      CCL Industries Inc. has signed a binding option agreement to acquire Sleever International Company SA, a global provider of shrink sleeve labelling solutions and application equipment for consumer packaged goods and healthcare markets.     Headquartered near Paris, France, Sleever operates 11 manufacturing facilities across Canada, Europe, China and Brazil, offering shrink …

Indorama Ventures, Nigerian Breweries and Genesis Energy partner to develop one of Africa’s largest rPET production facilities by 2027

      Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited has entered into a partnership with Nigerian Breweries Plc and Genesis Power & Energy Solutions Ltd to establish a large-scale food-grade recycled PET (rPET) production facility in Lagos, Nigeria.     The planned facility will have an annual production capacity of approximately 45,000 tonnes of rPET resin …

SABIC restructures portfolio through divestment of petrochemicals and engineering plastics businesses

      SABIC has announced plans to streamline parts of its global chemicals portfolio through the divestment of selected business units, as the company seeks to strengthen long-term growth and capital efficiency.     The Saudi-based chemicals producer confirmed that it has signed agreements to sell its European petrochemicals business to investment firm AEQUITA …

UAE report highlights rising demand for eco-friendly packaging solutions

      Demand for environmentally sustainable packaging solutions is increasing in the United Arab Emirates, according to findings released by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF), which cited growing interest from businesses seeking alternatives to conventional plastic packaging.     The update was shared by the MBRIF, an initiative of the UAE Ministry …

Henkel to acquire ”Not Your Mother’s” hair care and styling brand

      Henkel has signed an agreement to acquire the consumer hair care and styling brand “Not Your Mother’s” from private equity investor Main Post Partners, the company announced from Düsseldorf. The transaction, which remains subject to regulatory approvals, will add a hair care portfolio with approximately €190 million in sales in fiscal year …