Act II Global Acquisition, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, agreed to merge with Merisant, a manufacturer of zero and low-calorie sugar substitutes, and MAFCO Worldwide, a manufacturer of natural licorice products, in a $516m deal. "We are excited to create Whole Earth Brands, a global, industry leading platform, focused on on-trend food products and ingredients. We are in the early stages of the global secular consumer shift away from sugar and increased emphasis on natural ingredients and clean labels. Whole Earth Brands will be uniquely positioned as a global player addressing this sizeable opportunity and will provide a strong foundation for robust organic growth and future strategic acquisitions. Our brands, significant free cash flow and the highly accomplished leadership team combined with our public listing and flexible balance sheet will allow us to reinvest in the business in a way that has not been done before and execute an accelerated growth strategy, driving long-term shareholder value," Irwin D. Simon, Act II Chairman.