SHANGHAI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Chinese company Bright Food did not discuss a bid for a 50 percent stake in French yoghurt company Yoplait at the group level, a Chinese newspaper reported on Thursday, citing an unnamed senior Bright Food executive.
Shanghai-based Bright Food did not submit an offer for the Yoplait stake though it is possible one of Bright Food's subsidiaries may have talked with Yoplait's industry peers, the official China Securities Journal cited the executive as saying.
Yoplait was set to meet this week to discuss bids made for the 50-percent stake that private equity firm PAI Partners holds in the yoghurt-maker, a source close to the matter told Reuters on Sunday.
Bright Food has presented the highest bid for a 50 percent stake in Yoplait, valuing it at around 1.7 billion euros (US$2.3 billion), French newspaper Le Figaro reported on Tuesday.
Yoplait did not approach Bright Food regarding the stake sale and the Chinese conglomerate did not study any plan to bid for the stake, the executive was cited as saying.
Bright Food representatives could not be reached for comment.
Bright Food Group Chairman Wang Zongnan said last month the company would continue to seek domestic and international acquisitions in the dairy, sugar and liquor industries to gain global dominance.
(Reporting by Soo Ai Peng; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)