When you pass by grocery aisles, Del Monte appears as your standard, old-school American staple, a label you’ve pretty much grown up seeing on cans, cups, and cartons. But behind that familiar tomato-shaped emblem lies a decades-long corporate split that has left the name scattered across different owners and product lines, depending on what you are buying.
After Del Monte Foods landed in bankruptcy and its businesses started getting carved up, one buyer has stepped up to stitch a big piece of that story back together. This means the company’s long-split brand is coming back under one owner.
One bidder, one umbrella, a lot of moving parts
Although the bankruptcy auction process involved multiple bidders overall, Fresh Del Monte Produce emerged as the successful buyer.
Fresh Del Monte, which split from the original Del Monte Corporation in 1989 when its fresh produce division was divested (leaving the canned and shelf-stable foods business as today’s Del Monte Foods), agreed to acquire a large portion of Del Monte Foods for $285 million, essentially reuniting much of the Del Monte name under one owner for the first time in nearly 40 years.
The deal gives Fresh Del Monte control of Del Monte Foods’ vegetable, tomato, and refrigerated fruit businesses. This includes packaged vegetables sold under the Del Monte and S&W brands, Contadina tomato paste and sauces, Del Monte refrigerated fruit, and the Joyba beverage line.
Several production sites are also part of the arrangement. Fresh Del Monte will take over facilities in Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Washington, aside from two plants in Mexico, and one operation in Venezuela. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2026, pending court approval and regulatory review.
How it got to this point
Del Monte Foods filed for bankruptcy in July 2025, citing pressure from higher costs and weaker consumer spending. Rather than selling the company as a whole, its assets were broken up and sold to multiple buyers.
Other pieces are in the process of going elsewhere. The broth and stock business, including College Inn and Kitchen Basics, is being sold to B&G Foods. Meanwhile, canned fruit and fruit sauce products under the Del Monte and S&W labels are headed to Pacific Coast Producers for the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Mexico.
Fresh Del Monte said the purchase brings fresh and packaged Del Monte products under one organization. Del Monte Foods will continue to operate separately until the sale is finalized.
Sources: Fresh Del Monte, PR Newswire, Food Dive