Announced Actions for August 9, 1996

The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following action. The FTC staff contact is Dan Ducore, 202-326-2526.

Commission action regarding applications for prior approval: Following a public comment period, the FTC has ruled on an application from the following:

• The FTC has approved the application of Devro International plc, based in Scotland, to divest certain assets used to produce collagen sausage casings to Nitta Gelatin, Inc., of Japan. The divestiture was required under an April 1996 consent order settling charges over Devro’s acquisition of Illinois-based Teepak International, Inc. The FTC had alleged that the acquisition would combine the nation’s two top producers of collagen sausage casings and would raise prices for the casings in part because it would elminate a key competitor. The divestiture requirement was designed to restore competition. (See Dec. 5, 1995 news release for more detail regarding the consent order; Docket No. C-3650; Commission vote to approve the divestiture was 5-0).

Copies of the documents referenced above are available from the FTC’s Public Reference Branch, Room 130, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 202-326-2222; TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710. FTC news releases, consumer materials, legal documents and other materials also are available on the Internet at the FTC’s World Wide Web site at: http://www.ftc.gov