SCHIPHOL, The Netherlands, March 18, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Royal Numico N.V. (Other OTC:KNUMF) announces that the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders today approved the acquisition of Mellin S.p.A. and the related issuance of 6,711,409 new shares. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2005.
The acquisition of Mellin represents an important step forward for Numico's Baby Food strategy in Western Europe. Mellin complements and significantly strengthens Numico's existing operations in terms of product range, channel presence and market position. The resulting competitive number 2 position in the Italian Baby Food Market provides Numico with the necessary platform and scale to drive growth in this underdeveloped and fragmented market.
Royal Numico is a high-growth, high-margin specialised nutrition company with leading positions in Baby Food and Clinical Nutrition. The company operates in over 100 countries and employs approximately 11,000 people (see also: www.numico.com). http://hugin.info/130673/R/985817/147098.pdf