Nexture announced it has started procedures to acquire La Crema, a Dubai-based manufacturer of chocolate and food ingredients used for a variety of end-applications, including ice cream, bakery, and fine pastry. The transaction is expected to be final by the end of 2026, subject to customary conditions.
With around 170 employees, La Crema offers a portfolio including chocolate sauces and cream fillings, chocolate bars, chocolate chips and buttons, assorted chocolates, ice cream solutions, ready-mix powders and fruit fillings, commercialized either under the brand La Crema or through private labels. La Crema was founded by Bilal Khalife in 2016 as a trading business serving the HoReCa segment, and expanded into in-house manufacturing in 2018, combining production with a distribution network spanning wholesalers, distributors and retailers.
Once completed, the acquisition will allow Nexture to establish its first manufacturing presence in the Middle East. The Group’s industrial footprint will expand to 30 factories worldwide, including two in North America, four in Africa, one in the Middle East, one in Asia, and the remaining 22 across eight European countries. The expanded Group’s workforce will reach over 2,900 employees.
It will also broaden Nexture’s portfolio with a more extensive range of chocolate products, such as cream fillings, bars, chips and buttons, as well as other fillings (including fruit), ice cream solutions and ready-mix powders.
Valerie-Diele Braun, Chief Executive Officer of Nexture, explained: “This acquisition marks an important step in Nexture’s global growth strategy, establishing our first manufacturing footprint in the Middle East and giving us direct access to one of the world’s fastest-growing ingredients markets. La Crema is a natural fit for our portfolio, adding a rich and diversified chocolate offering to our value-added solutions and unlocking meaningful synergies across the Group. We’re also particularly excited to strengthen our chocolate offering as it is a category that inspires creativity, delights consumers, and creates lasting value for our customers. We are delighted to partner with Mr. Bilal Khalife, who has built and developed La Crema into the business it is today. We look forward to working with him to unlock the company’s next phase of growth.”
The new acquisition is the latest in a series: Frulact and Sipral Padana were purchased in March and April 2026 respectively. Since the acquisition of CSM Ingredients in 2021, when the Group generated EUR 517 million in sales, Nexture has evolved into a global group with estimated annual revenues of approximately EUR 1.2 billion.
Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Nexture is behind brands such as CSM Ingredients, HIFOOD, Frulact, Italcanditi, Sipral Group, Comprital, and Prodotti Rubicone. It operates in over 120 countries, with 29 production plants, 26 development centers, 4 innovation centers and over 2,800 employees.
Photo: Nexture