Ebro Puleva
Encyclopedia
Ebro Foods S.A. is the leading company in the Spanish food processing
sector. Ebro Foods is the world's largest traders/miller of rice
and the second biggest producer of pasta
(its Panzani brand is the market leader in France
).
Ebro was previously also the largest manufacturer of value-added
dairy product
s in Spain, although in March 2010 it sold this business unit to Lactalis
for €630 million; and it was Spain's largest sugar
producer prior to the divestment
of that division to the British Sugar subsidiary of Associated British Foods
in 2009. Ebro Foods operates in 23 countries worldwide.
Ebro Foods owns two companies in North America. One is Riviana Foods, based in Houston, Texas, producer of rice products including Mahatma, Success, Minute Rice
, Water Maid and several private label
s. The other subsidiary is New World Pasta
, producer of Ronzoni, San Giorgio and other products.
The company also owns the Puleva Biotech subisidary, which engages in the research and development
of new functional food
products; and has a biofuel
production joint venture
with Abengoa
.
The company's shares are listed on the Bolsa de Madrid
and form part of the blue-chip IBEX 35
index as of January 2010.
Food processing
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
sector. Ebro Foods is the world's largest traders/miller of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and the second biggest producer of pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
(its Panzani brand is the market leader in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
).
Ebro was previously also the largest manufacturer of value-added
Value added
In economics, the difference between the sale price and the production cost of a product is the value added per unit. Summing value added per unit over all units sold is total value added. Total value added is equivalent to Revenue less Outside Purchases...
dairy product
Dairy product
Dairy products are generally defined as foods produced from cow's or domestic buffalo's milk. They are usually high-energy-yielding food products. A production plant for such processing is called a dairy or a dairy factory. Raw milk for processing comes mainly from cows, and, to a lesser extent,...
s in Spain, although in March 2010 it sold this business unit to Lactalis
Lactalis
Lactalis is a multi-national dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. It is the third largest dairy products group in the world, and is the second largest food products group in France, behind Danone...
for €630 million; and it was Spain's largest sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
producer prior to the divestment
Divestment
In finance and economics, divestment or divestiture is the reduction of some kind of asset for either financial or ethical objectives or sale of an existing business by a firm...
of that division to the British Sugar subsidiary of Associated British Foods
Associated British Foods
Associated British Foods plc is a global food, ingredients and retail company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its ingredients division is the world's second largest producer of both sugar and baker's yeast and a major producer of other ingredients including emulsifiers, enzymes and lactose...
in 2009. Ebro Foods operates in 23 countries worldwide.
Ebro Foods owns two companies in North America. One is Riviana Foods, based in Houston, Texas, producer of rice products including Mahatma, Success, Minute Rice
Minute Rice
Minute Rice is a brand of instant rice. The product was introduced in 1949 by General Foods, who merged with Kraft in 1990 and became Kraft General Foods, which became Kraft Foods in 1995. The product recently was sold to Riviana Foods in the United States, and to Ronzoni Foods Canada Corporation...
, Water Maid and several private label
Private label
Private label products or services are typically those manufactured or provided by one company for offer under another company's brand. Private label goods and services are available in a wide range of industries from food to cosmetics to web hosting...
s. The other subsidiary is New World Pasta
New World Pasta
The New World Pasta Company is an American food company and wholly owned subsidiary of Ebro Foods. It is the largest retail branded pasta manufacturer in North America in terms of sales. The company's brands include Ronzoni, San Giorgio, Skinner, American Beauty, Light 'n Fluffy, Prince, Catelli,...
, producer of Ronzoni, San Giorgio and other products.
The company also owns the Puleva Biotech subisidary, which engages in the research and development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
of new functional food
Functional food
Functional food is a food where a new ingredient has been added to a food and the new product has a new function ....
products; and has a biofuel
Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
production joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
with Abengoa
Abengoa
Abengoa is a Spanish multinational corporation, which includes companies in the domains of energy, telecommunications, transportation, and the environment...
.
The company's shares are listed on the Bolsa de Madrid
Bolsa de Madrid
Bolsa de Madrid is the largest and most international of Spain's four regional stock exchanges that trade shares and convertible bonds and fixed income securities, and both government and private-sector debt...
and form part of the blue-chip IBEX 35
IBEX 35
The IBEX 35 is the benchmark stock market index of the Bolsa de Madrid, Spain's principal stock exchange. Initiated in 1992, the index is administered and calculated by Sociedad de Bolsas, a subsidiary of Bolsas y Mercados Españoles , the company which runs Spain's securities markets...
index as of January 2010.