The Dutch firm AHOLD has paid $1.57 bn to the American company SARA LEE for PYA/MONARCH (annual turnover of $3 bn with a workforce of 4,850), a specialist in food services. AHOLD will merge the latter with its subsidiary US FOOD SERVICES, giving rise to a new entity that should see a turnover of $12 bn in 2001, with 200,000 institutional clients.