On May 15, 2025, Les Crudettes notified the French competition authority, Autorité de la concurrence, of its intention to acquire Bonduelle Frais France. After a thorough examination of the potential impacts on the relevant markets, the authority has cleared the transaction without any conditions.

Les Crudettes, a subsidiary of the LSDH group, and Bonduelle Frais France, part of the Bonduelle group, are both engaged in the processing and packaging of ready-to-use salad leaves for supermarkets and the food service sector. The authority classified the bagged salad leaves as 'ready-to-use' under the French food classification system.

The Autorité de la concurrence assessed the merger's implications on both the supply of salad leaves from farmers and the sale of bagged salad to consumers and food service professionals. It consulted various operators in the sector to inform its analysis.

Regarding the upstream market for salad leaves, the authority found no risk of competition harm. The new entity will hold a limited share of the purchasing market and will not hinder competitors, as they have multiple supply sources. Additionally, farmers have alternative outlets, ensuring that the new entity cannot create economic dependence among suppliers.

On the downstream market for bagged salad sales, the authority similarly ruled out competition harm. The new entity will market products under the 'Les Crudettes' and 'Bonduelle' brands and will continue supplying supermarkets with their own-label products. The authority noted significant competition from Agrial and La Linea Verde, which are already established in the market.

The authority also evaluated the risk of coordination among competitors regarding commercial policies. It concluded that the transaction does not increase the likelihood of collusion, as the market's contestable nature and low barriers to entry would prevent any collusive behavior from being sustainable.

Ultimately, the Autorité de la concurrence has unconditionally approved the acquisition, allowing Les Crudettes to proceed with full control of Bonduelle Frais France.