LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Paulson & Co, a top tenshareholder in Premier Foods, urged the company's boardto engage in takeover discussions with McCormick,becoming the second sizeable shareholder to criticise the boardfor its refusal to enter talks with its U.S. suitor.
Paulson, which owns more than 7 percent of Premier Foods,said on Thursday that it told Premier on Wednesday that theBritish food company should engage with McCormick.
McCormick has proposed taking over Premier, first at 52pence per share, and then again at 60 pence per share.
Premier said on Thursday that Nissin Foods bought17.3 percent of its shares for 63 pence per share, potentiallycomplicating McCormick's approach.
"The fact that the company's longstanding and largestshareholder sold all their shares at 63p, shows that the 60poffer from McCormick should be worthy of engagement," Paulsonsaid in a statement.
Nissin had identified U.S. private equity firm WarburgPincus, Premier's biggest shareholder, as the seller.
Earlier on Thursday, Standard Life Investments alsocriticised Premier's board.
(Reporting by Martinne Geller in London. Editing by JaneMerriman)