On August 12, 2025, Cristal Union notified the French competition authority of its intention to acquire Lesaffre Frères. After a thorough examination, the authority concluded that the transaction posed no risk to competition and granted unconditional clearance.

Cristal Union is a French agricultural cooperative primarily engaged in producing industrial sugar products, table sugar, molasses, and ethyl alcohol. Lesaffre Frères operates a sugar refinery in Nangis, focusing on industrial sugar products for the agri-food sector.

The authority's analysis centered on the production and marketing of industrial sugar, as Lesaffre Frères does not sell table sugar. Interviews with various stakeholders, including sugar beet growers and competitors, were conducted to assess the transaction's impact.

The authority found no competition risks in the upstream beet supply market, noting that Cristal Union's nearest processing facility is 80 kilometers from Lesaffre Frères, exceeding the average beet collection area of 30 kilometers. Suppliers to the Nangis factory were not adversely affected by the acquisition.

Additionally, the authority reassessed the geographical scope of the downstream market for industrial sugar products, determining it to be supranational due to the end of sugar production quotas. Cristal Union will continue to face competition from significant sugar groups in France and neighboring countries.

Ultimately, the authority ruled out any competition harm from the acquisition and cleared it without conditions. The full decision text will be available soon.