UNV Unilever Nv

RNS No 5825p
UNILEVER PLC & NV
21st July 1998

         UNILEVER ACQUIRES CULINARY BUSINESS IN CHINA

Unilever China is establishing a culinary products business in
China with the acquisition of the
Shanghai Huanan Laocai Food Industrial Co. Ltd, the leading soy
sauce producer in Shanghai, for an undisclosed sum.

The assets of  Huanan Laocai company have been purchased by a
new enterprise, within Unilever China, which will be called
Unilever Foods (Shanghai) Company Limited.

The Huanan Laocai company is well known for its "Lao Cai" brand
of soy sauce - the most widely distributed soy sauce brand in
the Greater Shanghai region which has a population of 190
million.  Lao Cai can be found in more than 80 per cent of
supermarkets and major foods stores.

The business had sales of $US 9.5 million in 1997 and currently
employs approximately 280 people, on the factory site in
Jinshan, 60km south west of Shanghai and in the Shanghai
office.

Culinary products are a priority category for Unilever
worldwide and it sees this acquisition as a great opportunity
within what is potentially the world's biggest culinary market.

Although the business is small at present, the Lao Cai brand is
very strong in Shanghai and gives Unilever a solid base from
which to build. The Chinese consume over 2.5 million tons of
soy sauce every year and the total culinary market in China is
worth at least US$ 3 billion."

The acquisition has been approved by the relevant authorities.
Mr Cai, the founder of the business has agreed to work with
Unilever for an interim period to ensure a smooth handover.

END

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