The Dutch competition authority NMa has halted the takeover of bakery group Bolletje by Continental Bakeries.

‘By blocking the takeover, the NMa is preventing a rise in the price of beschuit,’ the cartel watchdog said in a statement. Beschuit are a typical Dutch crisp bake or rusk, often eaten with aniseed sprinkles to celebrate the birth of a new baby.
The takeover would have created a company with between 70% and 80% of the Dutch crisp bake market.
The companies had suggested selling one of the production lines to a new competitor in order to overcome the NMa’s objections.
‘The NMa has not accepted this proposal because there are insufficient guarantees that a new competitor would emerge and remain active,’ the organisation said.