Heartland Food Products Group, owner and manufacturer of the Splenda Brand, SlimFast and Java House, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Americas business of Whole Earth Brands, Inc., including the Equal, Whole Earth, Swerve and Chuker sweetener brands across North America and Latin America. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The acquisition further strengthens Heartland’s position as the global leader in sugar reduction, low- and no-calorie sweeteners and better-for-you food and beverage solutions. The transaction combines several of the most recognized brands in the sweetener category under one organization and expands Heartland’s portfolio across traditional tabletop, natural sweeteners, foodservice, beverage, retail and B2B channels.
Heartland expects the acquisition to significantly expand its scale and capabilities across retail, foodservice, e-commerce, ingredient solutions, and international markets. The combined organization will leverage Heartland’s vertically integrated manufacturing network, advanced R&D and formulation capabilities and broad distribution platform to accelerate innovation and category growth.
The acquisition also enhances Heartland’s strategic investments in next-generation sweetener technologies and domestic ingredient supply chains, including its pioneering US-grown stevia initiatives. The Heartland Food Products Group expects to continue expanding natural and plant-based sweetener offerings under both the Whole Earth and Splenda portfolios while supporting growth of the Equal brand in the Americas.
Since acquiring the Splenda brand in 2015, Heartland has transformed the business into a broad-based health and wellness platform, expanding into plant-based sweeteners, creamers, nutritional beverages, liquid enhancers, coffee and wellness products.