In 1999, la société Besnier became le groupe Lactalis owned by Belgian holding company BSA International SA.

[15] On 15 September 2020, Groupe Lactalis announced an agreement to acquire Kraft Heinz's natural cheese operations in North America and internationally for $3.2 billion.

[17] In April 2023, Lactalis American Group announced an investment of $32 million to construct a new whey-processing facility in South Buffalo, boosting its production of the ingredient by 30%.

The group operates in eight divisions: Lactalis owns 198 industrial sites in 55 countries including the US, Romania, Poland, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia ("სანტე" brand), United Kingdom, Australia and as of 2011, Canada and South Africa.

[36] Rai 3's PresaDiretta aired a special report titled "Italia in vendita," highlighting the increasing foreign acquisitions in Italy's agri-food sector, from North to South.

The focus was on the dairy and cheese industries, particularly iconic products like mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano, which have been taken over by the French multinational Lactalis.

The report concluded that Lactalis sought to integrate Italy's DOP products and brands—such as Galbani, Parmalat, Leerdammer, Castelli, Invernizzi, and the more recent acquisition of Ambrosi—into its global portfolio.

It aimed to leverage Parmalat's international presence in Africa and Latin America, while closing down plants considered non-essential, such as Alival in Calabria and Tuscany, sparking controversy over a lack of social responsibility.

[37] Lactalis faced significant backlash for its decision to shut down two production facilities: one in San Gregorio, Reggio Calabria, and another in Ponte Buggianese, Tuscany.

Lactalis, which acquired Alival through the Castelli Group, justified the closures citing financial challenges worsened by the pandemic and international crises.

Swiss Journalist Klaus Davi strongly criticized the decision, stating: “The closure of the Lactalis plant in Reggio Calabria is an indefensible disgrace.

Sending 80 workers home, pushing 80 families into poverty in a city like Reggio, is no small matter, especially when Italian food excellence is being celebrated.”[39] In contrast, Tuscany's regional government took swift action, engaging local entrepreneurs to create favorable conditions for reemployment at the Ponte Buggianese plant.