Strong demand for virus prevention products provides boost to Bunzl profits

Bunzl, whose main customer markets include grocery, non-food retail, cleaning and safety, said it had seen a marked improvement in operating margins across its four business areas in the second half of 2009 and was confident for 2010.

Bunzl's chief executive Michael Roney said: "As GDP turns positive our organic growth will turn positive."

He added that the company had spent 2009 realigning its cost base to give efficiencies which would continue into 2010 and this, combined with potential acquisitions, made him optimistic for Bunzl's future.