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Brazilian Meat Giants Marfrig and BRF Are Merging

May 16, 2025

The resulting company will be called MBRF; it will hold 80% of America’s National Beef and will rival JBS back in Brazil.

Dave Fusaro

Two Brazilian animal protein giants are merging. Marfrig Global Foods and BRF finalized the details of their merger on May 15, forming MBRF. The deal combines Marfrig’s beef-heavy business with the chicken and pork businesses of BRF.

Marfrig since 2021 had been acquiring shares of BRF and amassed a 50.5% stake at the time of the merger. The resulting company should have annual sales of $26.75 billion, making it a strong rival to Brazil’s largest meat processor JBS.

Like JBS, Marfrig has operations in the U.S. Marfrig owns 80% of National Beef Packing Co., and it formerly owned Keystone Foods until selling it to Tyson in 2018.

Shareholders still must approve the merger on June 18, but that’s almost assured with Marfrig’s majority ownership.

Reuters quoted MBRF’s CFO as saying the new company could list its stock on a U.S. market at some point. JBS has repeatedly teased that it wants a U.S. listing.

Local news reports said the consolidation will help Brazil cement its position as a key meat supplier to China.

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.