CMA Merger Inquiry: LDC acquires Green Label

UK CMA Cases

Published January 26th, 2026

Detected February 26th, 2026

Summary

The CMA has opened a merger inquiry into the acquisition of Green Label Holdings Limited by Société LDC SA. An initial enforcement order has been served, and an invitation to comment is open until March 9, 2026, to gather views on potential competition impacts.

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What changed

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has initiated a merger inquiry into the completed acquisition of Green Label Holdings Limited by Société LDC SA. The CMA has issued an initial enforcement order to preserve the status quo pending investigation and is now seeking comments from interested parties regarding the potential impact on competition in the UK market. The invitation to comment is open until March 9, 2026, and represents the initial phase of information gathering before a formal investigation commences.

Regulated entities, particularly those in the food manufacturing sector, should review this inquiry and consider submitting any relevant comments by the March 9, 2026 deadline. Failure to comply with the initial enforcement order could result in penalties. This inquiry signifies a substantive review of the merger's competitive effects, and affected parties should be prepared for potential further information requests or regulatory actions.

Source document (simplified)

LDC / Green Label merger inquiry

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering the completed acquisition by Société LDC SA of Green Label Holdings Limited.

From: Competition and Markets Authority Published 27 January 2026 Last updated 23 February 2026
— See all updates Case type: Mergers Case state: Open Market sector: Food manufacturing Opened: 27 January 2026

Statutory timetable

| Date | Action |
| --- | --- |
| 23 February 2026 to 9 March 2026 | Invitation to comment |
| 26 January 2026 | Initial enforcement order () |
() The CMA has made an initial enforcement order. This case page will be updated when the CMA formally commences its phase 1 investigation.

Phase 1

Invitation to comment: closes 9 March 2026

23 February 2026: The CMA is issuing this ‘invitation to comment’ to allow interested parties to submit to the CMA any initial views on the impact that the transaction could have on competition in the UK. The CMA has not yet launched its formal investigation into this transaction. This invitation to comment is the first part of the CMA’s information-gathering process.

Pre-notification

The CMA has received the necessary information from the parties to commence pre-notification.

Initial enforcement order

26 January 2026: The CMA has served an initial enforcement order under section 72(2) of the Enterprise Act 2002 on Société LDC SA and LDC International SAS, Green Label Holdings Limited (which trades as ‘Gressingham Foods’), Geoffrey Maurice Buchanan and William Edwin Buchanan (both of whom hold interests in the Green Label).

Initial enforcement order (PDF, 219KB) (27.1.26)

Contact

Please send written representations about any competition issues to: ldc.gressinghamfoods@cma.gov.uk

Privacy notice

Your name and contact details are your personal data. In collecting, receiving, storing, accessing and using your personal data, the CMA, as controller, is processing your personal data. The CMA processes personal data in accordance with data protection law. The CMA is processing your personal data so that it can contact you again, should it need further help or information from you, in order to carry out its merger work under Part 3 of the Enterprise Act 2002. For more information about how the CMA processes personal data and your rights relating to that data, please see our Privacy Notice.