{"id":89187,"date":"2026-07-23T23:51:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T23:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/89187\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T23:51:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T23:51:08","slug":"mccormick-details-plan-for-unilever-foods-combination-unlyf-sec-filing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/89187\/","title":{"rendered":"McCormick details plan for Unilever Foods combination | UNLYF SEC Filing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"margin: 0\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  \u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-align: right\">Filed by McCormick &amp; Company, Incorporated<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-align: right\">pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933,<br \/>\nas amended<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-align: right\">and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12 of the Securities<br \/>\nExchange Act of 1934, as amended<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-align: right\">Subject Company: Unilever PLC<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-align: right\">(Commission File No. 001-04546)<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 9pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0; text-align: right\">Date: July 23, 2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 9pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 9pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mkcv425_001.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"height: 0.65in; width: 0.76in\"\/>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 9pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 9pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">McCormick<br \/>\n&amp; Co., Inc.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 9pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">24 Schilling<br \/>\nRoad, Suite 1 <br \/>Hunt Valley, MD 21031<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0 11pt 0 0; text-align: right\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">July 23,<br \/>\n2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 6.95pt 0 0\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">All,<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt\">Today marks an important milestone in our planning for<br \/>\nthe combination with Unilever Foods, and I wanted to share the highlights with you directly.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Earlier<br \/>\ntoday, we announced the planned operating model, Executive Team, and secondary listing location for the combined company. These changes<br \/>\nwould become effective following the closing of the transaction, which is expected by mid-2027, subject to shareholder approval, required<br \/>\nregulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">These decisions<br \/>\nare important because they define how we intend to lead the combined business, serve customers around the world, and begin preparing<br \/>\nto deliver the value we see in this combination. I have summarized the key points below, and the full announcement is available here.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Operating<br \/>\nModel<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7We plan to evolve our Consumer and Flavor Solutions segments into four commercial<br \/>\ndivisions, giving the combined company greater focus and scale as a global leader in flavor.<\/p>\n<p>oAmericas Consumer will have approximately $8 billion1 in annual<br \/>\nsales of spices, seasonings, cooking aids, condiments, and sauces across North, Central, and South America<\/p>\n<p>oInternational Consumer will have approximately $7 billion1 in<br \/>\nannual sales of spices, seasonings, cooking aids, condiments, and sauces across the rest of the world, including the EMEA and APAC regions<\/p>\n<p>oGlobal Food Service will have approximately $4 billion1 in annual<br \/>\nsales and provide a wide range of flavor products to operators of restaurants and in other away-from-home channels.<\/p>\n<p>oGlobal Flavor will have approximately $2.5 billion1 in annual sales and provide customized<br \/>\nspecialty flavors, seasonings, condiments, and coatings to global food, beverage, and consumer health companies, as well as restaurant<br \/>\nchains.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7The commercial divisions will be supported by robust corporate functions, organized for growth, scale,<br \/>\nand disciplined execution.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0\">___________________\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">1<br \/>\nCombined sales figure represents McCormick\u2019s net sales for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2025, and Unilever Foods based on<br \/>\n2025 preliminary carve-out financial information, prepared under IFRS and translated from EUR to USD at the Unilever 2025 average rate<br \/>\nof ($1.124:\u20ac1.00). FY25 reflects McCormick\u2019s business including McCormick de Mexico and Unilever Foods\u2019 business excluding<br \/>\nbusiness in India, Nepal and Portugal; its Lifestyle &amp; Nutrition business; its Buavita business; and its Lipton Ready-to-Drink business<br \/>\n(together, \u201cExcluded Businesses\u201d). Unilever Foods&#8217; sales and other metrics are based on management estimates.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0.85in 0pt 0.05in\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0.85in 0pt 0.05in\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Executive<br \/>\nTeam<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">As previously<br \/>\nannounced, I will continue as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of McCormick, and Marcos Gabriel will remain Executive<br \/>\nVice President and Chief Financial Officer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">In alignment<br \/>\nwith the planned new operating model, we have selected a leadership team that spans the commercial divisions and global functions. The<br \/>\nteam brings together proven leaders from both McCormick and Unilever Foods. It reflects the global scale of the combined company and<br \/>\nthe capabilities needed to deliver on the opportunities ahead.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Subject<br \/>\nto the completion of the combination, it is expected that the following leaders will serve as part of the Executive Team in the following<br \/>\nroles:<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Division<br \/>\nLeaders:<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7Andrew Foust, EVP, President Americas Consumer<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7Heiko Schipper, EVP, President International Consumer<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7Nuria Hernandez, EVP, President Global Food Service<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7Suzanne Roy, EVP, President Global Flavor<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Function<br \/>\nLeaders:<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7Tabata Gomez, EVP, Chief Growth &amp; Global Marketing Officer<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7Heike Steiling, EVP, Chief R&amp;D Officer<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7Jennifer Han, EVP, Chief Supply Chain Officer<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7Guy Peri, EVP, Chief Information &amp; Digital Officer<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7Jeff Schwartz, EVP, Chief Legal Officer<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7Sarah Piper, EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Details<br \/>\non each member can be found on our website globalflavorleader.com<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Secondary<br \/>\nListing<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">To complement<br \/>\nour existing New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listing and reinforce the global nature of the combined operations, we intend to apply for<br \/>\na secondary listing of McCormick\u2019s shares on the London Stock Exchange. McCormick\u2019s primary stock listing will remain on<br \/>\nthe NYSE.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">International<br \/>\nHeadquarters<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">As previously<br \/>\nannounced, to support its non-U.S. business, the combined company will also have an International Headquarters and maintain a substantial<br \/>\npresence in the Netherlands, where Unilever Foods has long-standing operations and world-class R&amp;D capabilities. Importantly, our<br \/>\nGlobal Headquarters will remain in Hunt Valley, Maryland.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 6.95pt 0.85in 0 0.05in\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Next<br \/>\nSteps<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">I am committed<br \/>\nto keeping you informed as integration plans progress. I expect to share additional details on revenue and cost synergies, as well as<br \/>\nthe scope of the Transition Service Agreements (TSAs), by the end of September 2026.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">As always,<br \/>\nthank you for your continued support of McCormick.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Sincerely,<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mkcv425_002.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 170px; height: 66px\"\/><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Brendan<br \/>\nFoley<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Chairman,<br \/>\nPresident and CEO<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">McCormick<br \/>\nCautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Certain<br \/>\ninformation contained in this document that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute \u201cforward-looking statements\u201d<br \/>\nwithin the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements may be identified by the use of words such<br \/>\nas \u201cwill,\u201d \u201caim,\u201d \u201cexpects,\u201d \u201canticipates,\u201d \u201cintends,\u201d \u201clooks,\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cbelieves,\u201d \u201cvision,\u201d \u201cambition,\u201d \u201ctarget,\u201d \u201cgoal,\u201d \u201cplan,\u201d \u201cpotential,\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cwork towards,\u201d \u201cmay,\u201d \u201cmilestone,\u201d \u201cobjectives,\u201d \u201coutlook,\u201d \u201cprobably,\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cproject,\u201d \u201crisk,\u201d \u201ccontinue,\u201d \u201cshould,\u201d \u201cwould be,\u201d \u201cseeks,\u201d<br \/>\nor the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance, results, actions or events, and their negatives,<br \/>\nare intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be made in writing but also may be made verbally<br \/>\nby directors, officers and employees of McCormick. The forward-looking statements contained in this document include, without limitation,<br \/>\nthe anticipated benefits of, and our plans, strategies and objectives relating to, the pending transaction with Unilever Foods.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">These and<br \/>\nother forward-looking statements are based on management\u2019s current views and assumptions. They are not historical facts, nor are<br \/>\nthey guarantees of future performance or outcomes. Many risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual future events to differ<br \/>\nmaterially from the forward-looking statements in this communication, including, but not limited to: (i) the parties\u2019 ability to<br \/>\nmeet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the transaction, including changes in relevant<br \/>\ntax and other applicable laws, and the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination<br \/>\nof the transaction agreement; (ii) the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals, approval of our shareholders, anticipated tax<br \/>\ntreatment or any required financing, or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the transaction, including the risks that a governmental<br \/>\nentity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction, may require conditions, limitations or<br \/>\nrestrictions in connection with such approvals or that such regulatory approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could<br \/>\nadversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the transaction; (iii) the risk that the proposed transaction may not<br \/>\nbe completed on the terms or in the time frame expected by the parties, or at all; (iv) direct transaction costs and substantial transition<br \/>\nand integration-related costs associated with the proposed transaction with Unilever Foods; (v) the possibility that unforeseen liabilities,<br \/>\nfuture capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, charges, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition,<br \/>\nlosses, future prospects, business and management strategies resulting from the transaction or otherwise could adversely impact anticipated<br \/>\ncombined company metrics and\/or the value or expected benefit of, timing or pursuit of the transaction; (vi) the risks and costs of the<br \/>\npursuit and\/or implementation of the anticipated separation of Unilever Foods\u2019 business, including the anticipated timing required<br \/>\nto complete the separation, any adjustment to the terms of the transaction and any changes to the configuration of the businesses included<br \/>\nin the separation if implemented; (vii) uncertainties as to McCormick\u2019s access to available financing to consummate the transaction<br \/>\nupon acceptable terms and on a timely basis or at all; (viii) the failure to obtain the effectiveness of the registration statements<br \/>\nfor the transaction or receipt of McCormick shareholder approval for the transaction and certain related matters; (ix) the risk that<br \/>\ncombined company financial information relating to the transaction, including anticipated combined company revenues, earnings, cash flows,<br \/>\ncapital expenditures, indebtedness and other financial metrics of the combined company; (x) the risk that the anticipated ownership percentages<br \/>\nof McCormick shareholders, Unilever shareholders and Unilever following the closing of the transaction may differ from those expected;<br \/>\n(xi) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transaction on Unilever Foods\u2019 or McCormick\u2019s business relationships,<br \/>\ncompetition, business, financial condition and operating results, including risks that the transaction disrupts current plans and operations<br \/>\nof Unilever Foods or McCormick, the ability of Unilever Foods or McCormick to retain and hire key personnel, risks related to diverting<br \/>\neither management team\u2019s attention from ongoing business operations, and risks associated with third-party contracts containing<br \/>\nconsent and\/or other provisions that may be triggered by the transaction; (xii) the ability of McCormick to successfully integrate Unilever<br \/>\nFoods\u2019 operations and implement its plans, forecasts and other expectations with respect to Unilever Foods\u2019 business or the<br \/>\ncombined business after the closing of the transaction; (xiii) the ability of McCormick to manage additional debt and successfully de-lever<br \/>\nfollowing the transaction; and (xiv) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Unilever Foods or McCormick<br \/>\nrelated to the transaction; and other risks described in the company\u2019s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (\u201cSEC\u201d),<br \/>\nincluding McCormick\u2019s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2025 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the<br \/>\nquarter ended February 28, 2026. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The company<br \/>\nundertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly, any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future<br \/>\nevents or otherwise, except as may be required by law.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Unilever<br \/>\nCautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">This document<br \/>\nmay contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws of certain jurisdictions, including \u2018forward-looking<br \/>\nstatements\u2019 within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than<br \/>\nstatements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Words and terminology such as \u2018will\u2019,<br \/>\n\u2018aim\u2019, \u2018expects\u2019, \u2018anticipates\u2019, \u2018intends\u2019, \u2018looks\u2019, \u2018believes\u2019,<br \/>\n\u2018vision\u2019, \u2018ambition\u2019, \u2018target\u2019, \u2018goal\u2019, \u2018plan\u2019, \u2018potential\u2019,<br \/>\n\u2018work towards\u2019, \u2018may\u2019, \u2018milestone\u2019, \u2018objectives\u2019, \u2018outlook\u2019, \u2018probably\u2019,<br \/>\n\u2018project\u2019, \u2018risk\u2019, \u2018continue\u2019, \u2018should\u2019, \u2018would be\u2019, \u2018seeks\u2019,<br \/>\nor the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance, results, actions or events, and their negatives,<br \/>\nare intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also include, but are not limited to, statements<br \/>\nand information regarding the pending transaction of Unilever Foods with McCormick. Forward-looking statements can be made in writing<br \/>\nbut also may be made verbally by directors, officers and employees of the Unilever Group. These forward-looking statements are based<br \/>\nupon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Unilever Group. They are<br \/>\nnot historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance or outcomes. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement<br \/>\nare expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance<br \/>\non forward-looking statements. Because these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, a number of<br \/>\nwhich may be beyond the Unilever Group\u2019s control, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially<br \/>\nfrom those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Among other risks and uncertainties, the material or principal factors<br \/>\nwhich could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements expressed in this announcement are: the parties\u2019<br \/>\nability to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the transaction, including changes<br \/>\nin relevant tax and other applicable laws, and the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the<br \/>\ntermination of the transaction agreement, the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals, approval of McCormick shareholders, anticipated<br \/>\ntax treatment or any required financing, or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the transaction, including the risks that a governmental<br \/>\nentity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction, may require conditions, limitations or<br \/>\nrestrictions in connection with such approvals or that such regulatory approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could<br \/>\nadversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the transaction; the risk that the proposed transaction may not be<br \/>\ncompleted on the terms or in the time frame expected by the parties, or at all; direct transaction costs and substantial transition and<br \/>\nintegration-related costs associated with the proposed transaction with Unilever Foods; the possibility that unforeseen liabilities,<br \/>\nfuture capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, charges, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition,<br \/>\nlosses, future prospects, business and management strategies resulting from the transaction or otherwise could adversely impact anticipated<br \/>\ncombined company metrics and\/or the value or expected benefit of, timing or pursuit of the transaction, the risk that the anticipated<br \/>\nownership percentages of McCormick shareholders, Unilever shareholders and Unilever following the closing of the transaction may differ<br \/>\nfrom those expected, the risks and costs of the pursuit and\/or implementation of the anticipated separation of Unilever Foods\u2019<br \/>\nbusiness, including the anticipated timing required to complete the separation, any adjustment to the terms of the transaction and any<br \/>\nchanges to the configuration of the businesses included in the separation if implemented, uncertainties as to McCormick\u2019s access<br \/>\nto available financing to consummate the transaction upon acceptable terms and on a timely basis or at all, the failure to obtain the<br \/>\neffectiveness of the registration statements for the transaction or receipt of McCormick shareholder approval for the transaction and<br \/>\ncertain related matters, the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transaction on Unilever Foods\u2019 or McCormick\u2019s<br \/>\nbusiness relationships, competition, business, financial condition and operating results, including risks that the transaction disrupts<br \/>\ncurrent plans and operations of Unilever Foods or McCormick, the ability of Unilever Foods or McCormick to retain and hire key personnel,<br \/>\nrisks related to diverting either management team\u2019s attention from ongoing business operations, and risks associated with third-party<br \/>\ncontracts containing consent and\/or other provisions that may be triggered by the transaction; the ability of McCormick to successfully<br \/>\nintegrate Unilever Foods\u2019 operations and implement its plans, forecasts and other expectations with respect to Unilever Foods\u2019<br \/>\nbusiness or the combined business after the closing of the transaction; the ability of McCormick to manage additional debt and successfully<br \/>\nde-lever following the transaction; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Unilever Foods or McCormick related<br \/>\nto the transaction; Unilever&#8217; ability to innovate and remain competitive; Unilever&#8217; investment choices in its portfolio management; the<br \/>\neffect of climate change on Unilever&#8217; business; Unilever&#8217; ability to find sustainable solutions to its plastic packaging; significant<br \/>\nchanges or deterioration in customer relationships; the recruitment and retention of talented employees; disruptions in Unilever&#8217; supply<br \/>\nchain and distribution; increases or volatility in the cost of raw materials and commodities; the production of safe and high-quality<br \/>\nproducts; secure and reliable IT infrastructure; execution of acquisitions, divestitures and business transformation projects; economic,<br \/>\nsocial and political risks and natural disasters; financial risks; failure to meet high and ethical standards; and managing regulatory,<br \/>\ntax and legal matters and practices with regard to the interpretation and application thereof and emerging and developing ESG reporting<br \/>\nstandards including differences in implementation of climate and sustainability policies in the regions where the Unilever Group operates.<br \/>\nRisk with respect to McCormick are further described in its filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (\u201cSEC\u201d),<br \/>\nincluding McCormick\u2019s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2025 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the<br \/>\nquarter ended February 28, 2026. The forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations of our future<br \/>\nperformance, taking into account all information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements are not predictions of future<br \/>\nevents. These beliefs, assumptions and expectations can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known<br \/>\nto us. If a change occurs, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations may vary materially from those expressed<br \/>\nin our forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Except as required<br \/>\nby any applicable law or regulation, the Unilever Group expressly disclaims any intention, obligation or undertaking to release publicly<br \/>\nany updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Unilever Group\u2019s expectations<br \/>\nwith regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. New risks and uncertainties<br \/>\narise over time, and it is not possible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us. In addition, we cannot assess the impact<br \/>\nof each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual events, to differ materially<br \/>\nfrom those contained in any forward-looking statements. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Unilever Group<br \/>\nare described in the Unilever Group\u2019s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the SEC, including in the<br \/>\nAnnual Report on Form 20-F 2025 and the Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2025.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">No<br \/>\nOffer or Solicitation<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">This document<br \/>\nis for informational purposes only and is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an<br \/>\noffer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction<br \/>\nin which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such<br \/>\njurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the<br \/>\nU.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Important<br \/>\nInformation and Where to Find It<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">This document<br \/>\nrelates to a proposed transaction among McCormick, Unilever and Unilever Foods. The parties intend to file relevant materials with the<br \/>\nSEC, including, among other filings, a registration statement on Form S-4 to be filed by McCormick with the SEC, which will include a<br \/>\ndocument that serves as a proxy statement\/prospectus of McCormick in connection with the anticipated separation of Unilever Foods from<br \/>\nUnilever and combination with McCormick, and a registration statement on Form 10 to be filed by Unilever Foods entity that serve as an<br \/>\ninformation statement\/prospectus in connection with the spin-off of Unilever Foods from Unilever. Each party will also file other documents<br \/>\nregarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENTS, INFORMATION<br \/>\nSTATEMENTS, PROXY STATEMENT\/PROSPECTUS AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE<br \/>\nPROPOSED TRANSACTION, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME<br \/>\nAVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Investors<br \/>\nand security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement, proxy statement\/prospectus and all other relevant<br \/>\ndocuments filed or that will be filed with the SEC by McCormick, Unilever Foods or Unilever through the website maintained by the SEC<br \/>\nat www.sec.gov.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">The documents<br \/>\nfiled by McCormick with the SEC also may be obtained free of charge at McCormick\u2019s website at https:\/\/ir.mccormick.com\/ or upon<br \/>\nwritten request to McCormick &amp; Company, Incorporated, 24 Schilling Road, Suite 1, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031, Attention: Investor<br \/>\nRelations Department. The documents filed by Unilever Foods or Unilever with the SEC also may be obtained free of charge upon written<br \/>\nrequest to Unilever, Investor Relations Department, 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DY, United Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">Participants<br \/>\nin Solicitation<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt\">McCormick<br \/>\nand Unilever and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from<br \/>\nMcCormick\u2019s shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about McCormick\u2019s directors and executive<br \/>\nofficers and their ownership of McCormick\u2019s common stock is set forth in McCormick\u2019s proxy statement for its 2025 Annual<br \/>\nMeeting of Shareholders on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on February 18, 2026. To the extent that holdings of McCormick\u2019s securities<br \/>\nhave changed since the amounts printed in McCormick\u2019s proxy statement, such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements<br \/>\nof Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the direct and indirect interests of those persons<br \/>\nand other persons who may be deemed participants in the proposed transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement\/prospectus<br \/>\nregarding the proposed transaction when it becomes available. Information about the directors and executive officers of Unilever is set<br \/>\nforth in its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025, which was filed with the SEC on March 12, 2026. You may<br \/>\nobtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0 11pt 0 0; text-align: right\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0\">\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Filed by McCormick &amp; Company, Incorporated pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":89085,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[20694],"tags":[22275,38374,38373,38412,321,20954,24982,38411,12213,38410,38371],"class_list":["post-89187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-unilever","tag-business-combination","tag-form-10","tag-form-s-4","tag-integration-plans","tag-london-stock-exchange","tag-mccormick","tag-nyse","tag-secondary-listing","tag-unilever","tag-unilever-foods","tag-unlyf"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116971980986166898","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89187\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}