Decentralised snack bars

Mars are buying Kellanova (Kelloggs) in £28bn/$36bn merger. This is the 4th-largest M&A deal of 2024 and ranks in the top 10 food and beverage deal since 1995. Just the 17 $1bn billion dollar brands under Mars' control.

Mars will control nearly 28% of the snack bar market segement. In 2021, Mars and Kellog’s controlled 10.5% and 17.2% of snack bars [Guardian].

Given the concerns over the monopoly (& centralisation), the ELP released a statement: FTC Must Challenge Mars-Kellanova Deal and Stop Rampant Consolidation in Food and Grocery economicliberties.us/press-release/… via @econliberties

Snack bar ‘concentration’, or dare I say lack of, given that most their products are Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs). A 2021 product assessment by the Access to Nutrition found that 74% of Mars’ and 79% of Kelloggs’ were unhealthy [Guardian & @ATNIndex]

This is concerning given that Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) make up nearly 70% of U.S. and 60% of UK children’s diets.

On balance, the stored energy value of packaged foods is important. As discussed by @saylor, 11 mins 30s into: Channeling Monetary Energy Across Time and Space | The Saylor Series | E... youtu.be/eJMewJcaI50?si… via @YouTube @Breedlove22

In 85% of the Supermarket products inspected by the Guardian, four firms or less controlled over 40% of the market segment [Guardian]

Revealed: America’s giant food monopolies make billions as farmers, workers and consumers lose out theguardian.com/environment/ng… @ninalakhani @aliyaute

The centralisation and consolidation runs deep: four firms or fewer controlled at least 50% of the market for 79% of the ‘groceries’.

Is the food and drink industry decentralised and distributed enough?

Go buy some local, handmade flapjack instead! Let me know what you think and how we can buy more decentralised food?

Many thanks,