Sysco’s $8.2B U.S. Foods merger may spoil: source

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Sysco looks as though it will have to wait longer for its $8.2 billion US Foods merger to be approved by regulators, if it is at all.

The Federal Trade Commission this week sent a subpoena to a third-party food distributor asking for more information, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

Blackstone Group-owned Performance Food Group agreed in early December to buy assets from Sysco with roughly $5 billion in revenue, a source said, noting PFG did not get the subpoena.

Sysco, in the merger agreement, agreed to sell assets with $2 billion of revenue in order to merge with its closest rival, US Foods.

The proposed merger combines the top two US food distributors and creates a company with a quarter of the $235 billion North American market.

The subpoena means the review of the December 2013 merger “is not done,” the source said.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.