Unilever has divested its pasta sauce retail line in Germany, transferring ownership to the Italian food manufacturer, Casalasco Group. This strategic move comes as part of Unilever’s broader initiative within the food and beverage industry trends to streamline its portfolio, focusing on core segments.
The Tomato al Gusto and Speciale al Gusto product ranges, sold under the Knorr brand for over two decades, will now be exclusively managed by Casalasco. Although Unilever did not reveal the exact sale price for these assets, the company emphasized that this disposal aligns with its ongoing strategy to refine operations and enhance its positioning in the food and drink business.
In November 2024, Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher announced intentions to divest brands valued at £1bn ($1.2bn). As part of this recent agreement, Casalasco will utilize the Knorr brand for the pasta sauces during a transitional period of 12 months, while Unilever retains ownership of the Knorr brand itself. The official transfer date for the product range is set for March 1.
The pasta sauces in question are premium tomato products, featuring a variety of plant-based recipes including a ready-to-use carbonara option and will be available in packaging sizes of 370g or 500g. Casalasco, known for brands like Pomì, Pomito, and De Rica, has shown significant success in the tomato product sector, achieving a turnover of €630m ($649.6m) and an EBITDA of €81.1m in 2023.
Unilever asserted that its Food Solutions segment in Germany remains unaffected by this transaction with Casalasco. Under Schumacher’s leadership, Unilever has been vigorously pursuing a strategy to optimize its portfolio, which has included additional divestitures.
Just recently, Unilever received a binding offer from Zwanenberg Food Group, a Dutch producer of meat, snacks, and soups, for the acquisition of the Unox and Zwan food brands. Unox, recognized for prepared soups and noodles, alongside Zwan, a canned-meat brand, has been part of Unilever’s operations for nearly a century.
These developments are indicative of Unilever’s commitment to adapt to evolving food and drink consumer trends in order to maximize growth and streamline its operations. The company’s recent sale of the Dutch Conimex brand, known for meal-maker kits, soups, and sauces, to Finnish food and beverage company Paulig further exemplifies this strategic direction.
In conclusion, Unilever is reshaping its portfolio and positioning itself at the forefront of the evolving food and beverage landscape, all while focusing on maximizing efficiency and responding to consumer preferences.
