Mérieux NutriSciences completed its acquisition of Certified Group on October 21, finalising a deal first announced in August 2026 that positions the combined entity as the largest food testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) operator in North America.
Certified Group contributed approximately $300 million in annual revenue, 31 laboratories, more than 1,600 employees, and a network of over 170 independent regulatory consultants operating across the United States and Canada. The transaction brings Mérieux NutriSciences' global laboratory count beyond 160 accredited sites and its total workforce above 11,600.
The Deal Structure
The acquisition was financed with the participation of two new minority shareholders — Peugeot Invest and Continental Grain Company — alongside existing backers Institut Mérieux, Sofina, and Dassault Group. The involvement of Continental Grain, a major agribusiness operator with deep supply-chain stakes in food safety, is a signal that the combined platform's animal-protein and packaged-food testing capabilities are viewed as strategically valuable beyond pure TIC services. No aggregate transaction price was disclosed.
Capability Expansion
For food and beverage manufacturers, the acquisition materially widens the service menu available from a single provider. Certified Group's Food Safety Net Services (FSNS) network reinforces Mérieux NutriSciences' existing strength in animal protein testing — a segment under sustained regulatory scrutiny — while adding leading positions in dairy, packaged foods, nuts, and spices. The Certified Laboratories vertical layers in cosmetics, over-the-counter products, and dietary supplements testing, categories where many F&B conglomerates have expanded product lines in recent years. Labstat International brings reduced-harm nicotine product testing, and EAS Consulting Group extends the combined firm's regulatory advisory reach.
"By combining our respective strengths, we are vastly expanding the depth and breadth of our capabilities," said Nicolas Cartier, Chief Executive Officer of Mérieux NutriSciences. "This milestone allows us to be closer to our customers, meeting their localized, time-sensitive needs with unmatched speed and reliability."
Why It Matters for Operators
The consolidation reflects a broader trend in food safety services: large TIC networks are acquiring regional and specialist labs to offer integrated, coast-to-coast testing and regulatory consulting under one contract. For food manufacturers navigating an increasingly complex U.S. and Canadian regulatory environment — including evolving FDA food traceability rules and FSMA enforcement — consolidated providers that can handle routine micro testing, specialized residue analysis, and regulatory filing support in a single relationship reduce both vendor management overhead and turnaround time.
Sébastien Moulard, President North America at Mérieux NutriSciences, said customers would gain access to "routine testing, specialized analysis, expert regulatory support" through a single nationwide analytical network — a pitch aimed squarely at procurement teams at large food manufacturers seeking to rationalise their third-party testing spend.
Warburg Pincus, which backed Certified Group's growth through its private equity portfolio, exited through the deal. Deborah Kerr, Managing Director at Warburg Pincus and Executive Chair of Certified Group, said the firm was "proud to have supported Certified Group's evolution," characterising the sale as a natural next step for the platform it helped build.
For operators and retailers assessing supply-chain risk, the emergence of a dominant North American TIC provider with this lab density and regulatory consulting depth is likely to reshape vendor selection and pricing dynamics across food safety services. Further consolidation among mid-tier regional testing labs cannot be ruled out as smaller players face intensified competition from the enlarged network. Readers tracking related food safety regulatory developments and mergers and acquisitions in the food sector will find ongoing coverage on F&B Industry News.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
