MEXICO CITY โ Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV has acquired Amaritta Food SL, a company focused on the research and development and production of gluten-free bread.
The transaction was announced Feb. 19 by Daniel Servitje, chairman and chief executive officer of Bimbo.
โThis acquisition will enable us to continue gaining know-how in this category and lever from this technology and capitalize it in growth of that high-growth potential in that market,โ Servitje said in a conference call with investment analysts in connection with the companyโs fourth-quarter financial results. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Amaritta said the company operates a 2,000-square-meter (21,530-square-foot) production plant that is free of 13 of 14 declared allergens and has the capacity to produce 10 million units of gluten-free product. The company was established in 2020 and has been led by Maria Carmona Bejar, whose background includes 21 years at Inquiba SA, a consumer packaged foods company focused on detergent and beauty aids.
The acquisition is the latest of a series of steps Bimbo has taken to gain a stronghold in the gluten-free products space. In July 2023, the company announced a partnership with Zero Carb Co. (ZCC), a Dutch producer of gluten-free bread to expand ZCCโs distribution and production capabilities. ZCC is a joint venture startup of baking company Bakker Wiltink and venture builder BOX NV. Earlier, Bimbo Ventures has investments in LiveKuna, a vertically integrated supplier of gluten-free snacks and pantry staples; and Rule Breaker Snacks, a maker of vegan, gluten-free, allergen-friendly snacks.
The company has yet to establish a major presence in the gluten-free bread market in the United States. Flowers Foods, Inc., the second largest US baking company behind Bimbo, has become the largest US player in gluten-free bread following its 2018 acquisition of Canyon Bakehouse.
