The Barry Callebaut Group has agreed to acquire Europe Chocolate Company (ECC), a Belgian privately-owned B2B manufacturer of chocolate specialties and decorations. 

The acquisition is expected to close in the coming months. The parties have not disclosed any financial details of the transaction.

According to Barry Callebaut, this strategic acquisition expands the group’s value-adding specialty capabilities, allowing the Swiss chocolate manufacturer to cater to the increasing demand of food manufacturers for highly customized specialty chocolate and decorations. 

The integration of ECC expands Barry Callebaut’s specialized chocolate molding capabilities and allows the group to offer tailor-made solutions thanks to ECC’s advanced in-house developed technology.

Driving specialty chocolate demands
ECC has been manufacturing specialty chocolate ingredients since 1993.

Today, ECC produces a wide range of industrial specialty chocolate and decorations in multiple taste and color variations, including batons, curls, chunks, leaves and shavings. 

Its flexible production setup allows it to supply various customers such as biscuits, bakery, dairy, ice cream, confectionery and foodservice industries. The company operates a chocolate factory and a warehouse in Malle, close to Antwerp, Belgium.

“We have a long-standing relationship with ECC and strongly believe in the growth opportunities of highly customized industrial specialty chocolate ingredients,” says Wim Debedts, vice president of food manufacturers Western Europe at Barry Callebaut. 

“The acquisition will help us to broaden our market position further thanks to ECC’s unique know-how and its highly flexible manufacturing facility in Belgium.” 

Eric Van Tichelen, managing director of ECC, says that joining the Barry Callebaut business will enable and accelerate ECC’s growth. 

“It will allow access to new customers, new geographies via a broad sales network, helping to accentuate our unique proposition.”

The announcement comes at the heels of Antoine de Saint-Affrique stepping down as Barry Callebaut’s CEO and joining Danone as the new CEO of its dairy and baby food group.