Italian beverage company Gruppo Campari has agreed to sell its lemon soda business to Danish-based beverage company Royal Unibrew for €80m.

As per the deal, Royal Unibrew will be acquiring alcohol-free, fruit-flavoured, and carbonated variants of Lemonsoda, Oransoda, Pelmosoda, and Mojito Soda, which are grouped under the Freedea and Crodo brands.

The Crodino brand has not been included in the deal.

In addition to trademarks, the Danish beverage company will be acquiring the manufacturing and bottling facility located in Crodo, Northern Italy.

Gruppo Campari CEO Bob Kunze-Concewitz said: “The sale of the Lemonsoda and Crodo business marks a further key step in our strategy of streamlining our non-core activities.

"With this transaction, we exit the soft drinks business, while retaining our core Crodino brand, to further focus on our key aperitif business in Italy."

“In particular, with this transaction we exit the soft drinks business, while retaining our core Crodino brand, to further focus on our key aperitif business in Italy.”

The transaction is expected to close by the end of this year.

Both companies have also entered an agreement that will see Royal Unibrew continue to manufacture a number of Gruppo Campari’s products that are currently produced at the bottling facility in Crodo.

Royal Unibrew CEO Hans Savonije said: “Today’s acquisition cements our commitment to the Italian market and expands our position. In Ceres Strong Ale, we have one must-stock product, and now we’re adding Lemonsoda as number two to our portfolio.

“Lemonsoda is the Italian market leader within citrus-based soft drinks products and is almost as widely distributed as Ceres Strong Ale. This is one of the reasons why we consider the new business a good match.”