VION NV is confident that it will successfully sell its UK pork, red meat and poultry business units as ongoing viable businesses.

Peter Barr, chairman of VION UK said: “Working with our advisors Rabobank/Rothschild, we have already started detailed discussions with a number of interested parties, including management, regarding the acquisition of the various parts of the UK business and these are progressing well.

“The level of interest in the businesses has been strong and we hope to be in a position in the near future to give further details about the progress which has been made.

“The sale process will be completed in a smooth and orderly fashion to ensure business continuity for our employees, agricultural and other suppliers and our customers.”

VION NV entered the UK in the late 1990’s with the acquisition of Key Country Foods, followed by Tranfield and subsequently Grampian Country Food Group in 2008 and today employs 13,000 people at 38 sites in the UK. The company supplies beef, lamb, pork and chicken products to a broad range of blue-chip customers across the food retailing, food manufacturing and food service sectors.

In October, VION NV announced that it had entered into an agreement for the sale of US-based Banner Pharmacaps, a specialised manufacturer and developer of soft gel caps for the pharmaceutical industry, to Patheon Inc.

The strategic decision of VION NV move follows an analysis of VION’s UK food operations and will see the group returning to its core activities, focusing entirely on its food operations in the Netherlands and Germany and its global food ingredients business.