Nortera-B&G Canada backing down from takeover is a win for competition and food affordability

October 6, 2026 [Ottawa, ON] – The Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project (CAMP) welcomes the decision by Nortera Foods and B&G Foods Canada not to proceed with Nortera’s proposed acquisition of Green Giant and Le Sieur brands, a deal the Competition Bureau said would likely reduce competition in the supply of canned and frozen vegetables. 

The Bureau challenged the proposed acquisition in August, alleging that it would eliminate a major national competitor in markets where Nortera already holds a dominant position. Its investigation concluded the deal was likely to lead to higher prices and fewer choices in the grocery aisle for Canadians when they need it most. 

“It’s good to see the Competition Bureau’s more assertive enforcement stance begin to pay off,” said Keldon Bester, Executive Director of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project. “The Bureau was right to challenge a merger that would have put Green Giant and Le Sieur under the same umbrella as one of their competitors. With the deal off the table, retailers and shoppers will keep another option in a market where affordability matters and choice is already limited.” 

The outcome follows the Bureau’s successful request for an injunction from the Competition Tribunal to block the transaction while the merger case was heard. This is an early sign that Canada’s reformed merger enforcement regime is able to address harmful consolidation before a deal closes and the loss of a competitor becomes harder to reverse. 

“Preventing this merger from going ahead keeps the market from getting worse, but it does not fix the concentration that is already there,” Bester said. “Canned and frozen food production remains highly consolidated. If we want competition and choice to improve, we need to think bigger than stopping individual deals.” 

Competition among food producers and suppliers shapes the prices and choices available to retailers and, ultimately, consumers. Effective merger enforcement is an essential defence against further concentration. To improve competition, Canada needs to go on the offence and address the conditions that make food markets difficult for new and growing competitors to enter and expand.