Unilever prepares sale of food brands worth £6-bn

Reports said anglo-Dutch company is planning to sell Flora margarine and Stork butter brands

Unilever is preparing a £6 billion ($7.44 billion) sale of some of its food brands, British newspapers reported on Saturday.

The Anglo-Dutch company is planning to sell Flora margarine and Stork butter brands, the Sunday Times said.

The Sunday Telegraph, which also cited a 6 billion pounds figure, cited sources as saying private equity firms Bain Capital, CVC and Clayton Dubilier and Rice have started working on offers for the "spreads" business, citing sources.

Unilever did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The maker of Knorr soups, Dove soap and Ben & Jerry's ice cream rebuffed a surprise $143-billion takeover offer