
Being optimistic about the prospect of Chinese condiment market, Danone, Nestlé, Unilever, Hormel Foods, McCormick and other foreign companies through mergers and acquisitions, direct investment or joint ventures have in succession entered the Chinese condiment market. On January 4, 2013 Hormel Foods acquired Unilever's Skippy? Brand Peanut Butter (including the facilities in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA and Weifang, China) with US$700 million; on May 31, 2013 McCormick (Wuhan) Food Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of McCormick completed the asset acquisition of Wuhan Yatai Seasoning Food Co., Ltd. with US$147 million to get the latter's chicken essence brands "DaQiao" and "ChuShiLe", making strong entry into Central China.