Pfeifer & Langen has acquired a majority stake in Rügenwalder Mühle, a family-owned German producer of meat and plant-based alternative products.

Based in Cologne, Pfeifer & Langen is well-known for its sugar manufacturing business. The company owns the snack food company Intersnack Group, owner of brands including McCoys, KP Snacks and Tyrrell’s, as well as The Nature’s Richness Group, subsidiaries of which include plant-based brands Vbites and endori.

Rügenwalder Mühle was founded in 1834, establishing itself as a traditional meat and sausage producer. The company evolved to focus on the plant-based market in 2014 and now includes around 30 vegetarian and vegan alternatives in addition to 25 classic meat offerings.

No job cuts are planned as a result of the investment, Rügenwalder Mühle confirmed in a statement announcing the acquisition.

The transaction – of which the sum was not disclosed – will see Rügenwalder Mühle linked to The Nature’s Richness Group, which aims to bring together various activites ‘from field to fork’ to further develop the plant-based nutrition market.

Christian Rauffus, deputy chairman of the supervisory board of Rügenwalder Mühle, commented: “In less than ten years, we have brought vegetarian and vegan meat alternatives out of the niche and into the mainstream of society. With this investment, we want to take advantage of the opportunity to further develop this portfolio, especially beyond the German market.”

Uwe Schöneberg, managing partner of Pfeifer & Langen, said that by joining forces, the companies’ mutual strengths can be complemented in areas such as procurement of raw materials, production of innovative products and market cultivation.

Schöneberg added: “Our consistent thinking and actions allow us to further develop the still young category of plant-based meat alternatives. The needs and expectations of customers, a still early market stage, the challenges of future nutrition and, last but not least, the protection of our climate, demand this from us.”

The transaction is subject to the approval of the responsible competition authorities.

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