Rich's acquires Peruvian ingredients maker Viafoods amid record investment
US food supplier Rich’s has bought Peruvian B2B ingredients company Viafoods, a deal that underscores growing foreign confidence in the country’s consumer market ahead of a pro-investment government taking office.
Rich Products Corporation has acquired Peruvian food ingredients supplier Viafoods Ingredientes through its local subsidiary, Rich de los Andes. The financial terms of the transaction, which transfers ownership from a local group and a family holding, were not disclosed. The deal provides the US multinational with an established local production base and distribution network in a market it already serves.
Viafoods imports, produces and distributes professional kitchen inputs like vegetable creams, fillings and pre-mixes to bakeries, patisseries and gastronomy businesses. The company has maintained direct operations in Peru since 2013, building on a distributor presence dating back to the mid-1990s. For Rich’s, an 11,000-employee giant with more than 2,000 products globally, the purchase secures a direct manufacturing foothold in Lima’s fast-moving professional food sector.
The acquisition arrives at a pivotal moment for Peru’s economy. Local business leaders forecast private investment will surpass $50 billion this year, a record high. The central bank recently lifted its annual growth forecast, explicitly citing an expected surge in private capital expenditure.
This corporate bet coincides with a shifting political landscape. Keiko Fujimori, who won a narrow presidential runoff, is set to take office in late July on a platform focused on economic stability and investment. Her confirmed victory is widely interpreted as a catalyst for the kind of foreign capital deployment that the Rich's deal represents.
Peru’s economy is traditionally associated with mining headlines, but the Viafoods acquisition highlights a broader diversification of foreign interest into the consumer and food service sectors. The transaction represents a familiar trade-off: a home-grown supplier gains a deep-pocketed owner, but passes into foreign hands.
However, the market optimism remains cautious. Despite a respected central bank and encouraging investment forecasts, Peru carries a legacy of chronic political instability. Furthermore, Fujimori’s victory margin over a divided electorate was razor-thin, leaving some uncertainty over the long-term durability of the current pro-business consensus.
