BRF Brasil expects merger approval

BRF Brasil Foods SA said it hopes to receive regulatory approval by the end of the second quarter to complete the merger of Perdigao SA and Sadia SA.

A top official from the food processing giant said it was already making preparations to ensure the smooth integration of the post-takeover operations.

"We are doing our homework so that in the moment we get approval we can move very quickly with the integration," Luiz Fernando Furlan, BRF Brasil Foods co-chairman.

The company was created following the merger of food processors Perdigao and Sadia last year. BRF Brasil is a major producer and distributor of poultry, pork, beef, milk, and processed foods both in Brazil and abroad.