The planned merger between kroket makers Mora, Van Dobben and Kwekkeboom has been referred back to the Dutch competition authority because of fears in Brussels it could ‘seriously affect’ competition in the deep frozen snack market.

The European Commission on Monday said the Dutch authority was best placed to examine the proposed merger between the owners of the leading Dutch brands – Royaan and Ad van Geloven – both of which are owned by private equity groups.
‘The Commission’s investigation confirmed that the proposed transaction would lead to significant overlaps in the market for frozen snacks in the Netherlands,’ the statement said. ‘The merged entity would be the most important supplier of frozen snacks in the Netherlands.’
If the merger goes ahead, it will create a company with a 1,100-strong workforce and annual turnover in the region of €250m a year.
The merger of the Belgian arms has been approved by Brussels.