British consumer goods giant Unilever said on Friday that it has received an offer from US firm McCormick & Company for its food business.
“Unilever confirms that it has received an inbound offer for its Foods business and is in discussions with McCormick & Company,” the British company said in a statement on Friday.
“There can be no certainty that any transaction will be agreed,” it added.
A potential sale would mark a major shift for Unilever, whose brands include Dove soap, Cif surface cleaner and Hellmann’s mayonnaise, as it undergoes a wider turnaround to boost its performance.
“Unilever sprung to life as talk about selling its food brands intensified. The market has been awash with rumours all week and hearsay has now switched to confirmation, with McCormick named as an interested suitor,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
The offer from US-based spices maker McCormick & Company comes as Unilever increasingly prioritises its personal care and beauty divisions under its new chief executive, Fernando Fernandez. In its 2025 full-year results, the company stated that it planned to “focus its portfolio on higher‑growth categories, with increased exposure to Beauty & Wellbeing and Personal Care.”
In the current statement about the offer, the company said its food business remains “highly attractive” and added that it was “confident in the future of the Foods business as part of Unilever.”
Unilever has already been reshaping its portfolio.
Last year, it spun off its ice cream division, which included Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s.
Changes at Unilever in 2025 also included job cuts and the appointment of Fernandez, who took over as CEO one year ago after serving as the company’s chief financial officer.
As well as overseeing the ice cream spinoff, he has focused on growing sales in the United States and India.
The company posted a small rise in annual profits last year to €5.7 billion ($6.8 billion), while revenue slipped.
Unilever’s share price increased nearly 1.3% at around 10:00 CET in Europe.
