A federal judge temporarily barred the merger...

A federal judge temporarily barred the merger of two of the nation’s leading spice manufacturers pending Federal Trade Commission review of the proposed deal. U.S. District Judge John H. Pratt granted an FTC request to stop Friday’s scheduled completion of McCormick & Co.’s purchase of Specialty Brands Co. of San Francisco, which makes Spice Islands brand spices. Pratt scheduled a May 3 hearing on the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction against completion of the merger. The FTC contended that McCormick, based in Hunt Valley, Md., failed to comply with its requests for documents the agency needs to determine if the deal would lessen competition.