Nestle, Dreyer’s Deal May Get FTC Approval

Food maker Nestle is making progress toward overcoming U.S. antitrust concerns that threatened to scuttle the company’s $2.8-billion acquisition of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc., people familiar with the matter said.

Lawyers for the Federal Trade Commission, which voted 5 to 0 in March to challenge the combination, may now recommend that the agency approve Nestle’s plan to sell some Dreyer’s brands to CoolBrands International Inc. along with Nestle distribution networks, the people said.

At a meeting Friday with Nestle representatives, the Wall Street Journal reported, the FTC staff made new demands that the lawyers said might clear the way for the agency to approve the combination, people familiar with the talks said.