LONDON - Britain's competition watchdog the Office of Fair Trading said it was considering whether Procter & Gamble's acquisition of Sara Lee's air freshener unit should be investigated by European authorities.

Last December, P&G agreed to buy Sara Lee's unit Ambi Pur for $470 million to expand its portfolio of air fresheners and broaden its presence in Europe and Asia. P&G already owns the Febreze brand of air fresheners.

The OFT said on Friday it was contemplating whether the deal should be referred to the European Commission for investigation.

The OFT is considering whether the merger may affect trade between member states and may threaten to significantly affect competition within the territory of the UK, the OFT said in a statement. (Reporting by David Jones; Editing by David Holmes)

United kingdom