Competition regulator seeks to block Quebec company’s purchase of Green Giant, Le Sieur brands

Regulator seeks to block Nortera's purchase of Green Giant and Le Sieur brands

Canada's Competition Bureau is asking the Competition Tribunal to block Nortera Foods' proposed acquisition of the Green Giant and Le Sieur brands of canned and frozen vegetables in Canada from U.S.-based B&G Foods. The bureau argues that the deal would harm competition in the wholesale grocery supply, potentially leading to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers.

Nortera, headquartered in Brossard, Quebec, is already Canada's dominant processor of certain canned and frozen vegetables under the Del Monte and Arctic Gardens brands, according to the bureau. The company has been the exclusive producer of Green Giant and Le Sieur in Canada for 30 years and announced in October 2025 its intention to buy the brands.

The bureau says the transaction would combine Nortera with its only major national brand competitor in an already highly concentrated market.

Bureau's concerns

Ariane Jaros-Denis, associate deputy commissioner of the mergers branch at the Competition Bureau, said during a media briefing that Green Giant and Le Sieur are important brands that Canadians are accustomed to seeing on grocery store shelves. She noted that B&G Foods competes aggressively against Nortera, and that the transaction would eliminate competition between two significant players in the frozen and canned vegetable markets.

The bureau also fears that the acquisition would make it difficult for newer businesses to enter the sector.

To prevent the deal from closing before a decision is made, the bureau has asked the Competition Tribunal to block the transaction and to prevent the companies from completing it until the tribunal issues a ruling.

Nortera's response

Nortera responded on Wednesday by saying the proposed deal is in the country's best interests, supporting the long-term viability of domestic vegetable production at a time when the industry faces heightened pressure from imports. The company said it is reviewing the bureau's position and remains in discussions with B&G Foods about the next steps.

The Competition Bureau's action is part of its broader scrutiny of the food supply chain. Two years ago, it launched an investigation into the parent companies of Loblaws and Sobeys for alleged anticompetitive conduct, and in 2023 it carried out a wider grocery market study to assess how governments could boost competition in the sector.