IN Brief:
- Heartland Food Products Group is acquiring Whole Earth Brands’ Americas business.
- The deal includes Equal, Whole Earth, Swerve, and Chuker across North America and Latin America.
- The acquisition strengthens Heartland’s position in sugar reduction, natural sweeteners, foodservice, and B2B ingredient channels.
Heartland Food Products Group has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Americas business of Whole Earth Brands, adding Equal, Whole Earth, Swerve, and Chuker to a portfolio that already includes Splenda, SlimFast, and Java House.
The transaction covers the sweetener brands across North America and Latin America. Financial terms were not disclosed. Heartland said the acquisition expands its position in sugar reduction, low- and no-calorie sweeteners, and better-for-you food and beverage solutions.
The deal brings several recognised sweetener brands under one organisation, extending Heartland’s reach across tabletop sweeteners, natural sweeteners, foodservice, beverage, retail, e-commerce, and B2B channels. The acquired business is expected to use Heartland’s vertically integrated manufacturing network, research and development capability, formulation expertise, and distribution platform.
Ted Gelov, chairman and CEO of Heartland Food Products Group, said: “The acquisition of Equal and Whole Earth Brands Americas is another transformative milestone for Heartland and further advances our mission to help people live happier, healthier, and longer lives by making it easier to reduce sugar.”
Gelov added that Equal remains one of the most recognised brands in the sweetener category, while Whole Earth has built a strong position in plant-based and natural sweetener solutions.
Heartland said the acquisition also supports investment in next-generation sweetener technologies and domestic ingredient supply chains, including work on US-grown stevia. The company plans to expand natural and plant-based sweetener offerings under the Whole Earth and Splenda portfolios while supporting growth of Equal in the Americas.
Sugar reduction remains one of the most technically demanding areas of reformulation. Manufacturers are working to balance nutrition targets, consumer expectations, taste, cost, label positioning, and regulatory requirements while preserving the texture, shelf life, processing performance, and sensory quality that sugar often provides.
Ingredient suppliers are responding by expanding portfolios and application support. ADM’s expanded soy and pea protein range showed how formulation teams are being given more routes through nutrition, texture, and performance demands across beverages, bakery, meat alternatives, and dairy alternatives. Heartland’s acquisition sits in the same broader pattern of suppliers strengthening technical toolkits for reformulation.
Sweeteners are especially complex because sugar performs several roles beyond sweetness. It can provide bulk, browning, mouthfeel, freezing-point control, preservation effects, fermentation behaviour, and texture depending on the application. Replacing it is rarely a direct substitution. High-intensity sweeteners, stevia, monk fruit, polyols, fibres, rare sugars, and functional bulking systems each bring different processing, labelling, and sensory considerations.
Scale and formulation support are therefore central to the industrial value of the deal. Brand recognition can drive retail presence, but manufacturing customers also need technical assistance to reformulate products without compromising line behaviour, shelf life, or consumer acceptance. Heartland’s B2B and manufacturing position gives the acquisition relevance beyond the consumer tabletop sweetener category.
The deal also reflects consolidation in the better-for-you ingredients sector. As reduced-sugar products become more established, the category is moving from simple substitution toward systems that combine taste modulation, functionality, supply security, and application knowledge. Companies with broader portfolios and greater manufacturing control are better placed to support that shift.
For food and beverage manufacturers, the next stage will depend on how Heartland integrates the acquired brands into its technical and supply platform. A stronger combination of consumer brands, ingredient capability, and domestic manufacturing could give the company a larger role in reduced-sugar formulation across retail, foodservice, and industrial channels.
