ConAgra Foods, Inc. announced today that it has acquired the packaged foods businesses of Frontera Foods, Inc. and Red Fork LLC, including the Frontera, Red Fork and Salpica brands. These businesses make authentic, gourmet Mexican food and contemporary American cooking sauces. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Frontera’s premium salsa, sauces, snacks and meals feature the distinct flavors of Mexico. Red Fork is known for its premium American cooking sauces and Salpica is a unique Tex-Mex salsa line.
“We are excited to add the Frontera, Red Fork and Salpica brands to our portfolio. In particular, the Frontera brand is a preeminent gourmet Mexican food brand in North America. We believe it provides a tremendous platform off which we can build,” said Sean Connolly, president and chief executive officer of ConAgra Foods.
Founding Chef Rick Bayless says, "In ConAgra, we’ve found people who respect our integrity and uncompromising standards. We will continue to make high-quality food with the same standards of excellence and operate with the same values and fresh ingredients that have helped the business to become the premium brands they are today. This is the start of a new era for Frontera, Salpica and Red Fork, and we are thrilled.”
Frontera Foods CEO Manny Valdes says, “Frontera has grown through a passion for innovation and hard work. We have made a difference in the American grocery store and the American home. We believe ConAgra is a fantastic partner to help us deliver the same level of authentic, gourmet food products to even more homes across the country.”
Founders Rick Bayless and Manny Valdes will continue to actively support the business.
The acquisition does not include any restaurant assets, including Frontera-branded restaurants.
About ConAgra Foods
ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG), is one of North America's leading packaged food companies with recognized brands such as Marie Callender's®, Healthy Choice®, Slim Jim®, Hebrew National®, Orville Redenbacher's®, Peter Pan®, Reddi-wip®, PAM®, Snack Pack®, Banquet®, Egg Beaters®, Hunt’s® and many other ConAgra Foods brands found in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores. ConAgra Foods also has a strong business-to-business presence, supplying frozen potato and sweet potato products as well as other vegetable products to a variety of well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial customers. For more information, please visit us at www.conagrafoods.com.
About Frontera Foods
Chef Rick Bayless, owner of the highly-acclaimed Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and Xoco restaurants in Chicago, established Frontera Foods in 1996 with partner and CEO Manny Valdes. Today, the company makes more than 50 regional Mexican food products using premium ingredients and time-honored cooking methods.
Frontera products are handmade from fresh ingredients. Frontera’s Chipotle Salsa, made from fresh fire-roasted tomatillos, roasted garlic, onions and chipotle chiles, introduced this country to the true flavor of smoky chipotle chiles. It won a Sofi Award in 1998 and remains a top seller.
Frontera produces a wide variety of gourmet Mexican products including salsas, taco skillet sauces, slow cook sauces, enchilada sauces, marinades, chili mixes, guacamole mixes, hot sauces and Non-GMO Project Verified stone-ground corn tortilla chips. Frontera products are available nationally through gourmet, specialty and natural food stores. The websitewww.fronterakitchens.com features recipes for gourmet Mexican meals made easy.
In 2010, Frontera launched the first-ever, fresh-packed seasoning sauces in convenient 8-ounce pouches for quick and easy skillet tacos, fajitas and enchiladas. The skillet taco seasoning sauces were quickly followed by gourmet Mole Sauce, Barbacoa Slow-Cook Sauce and Carnitas Slow-Cook Sauce in the innovative 8-ounce pouch packaging.
Frontera received two 2011 Sofi Award nominations for the Key Lime Cilantro Taco Skillet Sauce and the seasonal Chipotle Pumpkin Salsa. In 2016, Frontera received a Sofi nomination for Frontera Beef Barbacoa Slow Cook Sauce.