Hunt's facts for kids
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| Type | Preserved tomato products |
|---|---|
| Owner | Conagra Brands (Century Pacific Food in the Philippines) |
| Introduced | 1888 |
Hunt's is a well-known brand that makes many different tomato products. It is currently owned by a company called Conagra Brands.
The company started way back in 1888. Two brothers, Joseph and William Hunt, founded it in Sebastopol, California. It was first called the Hunt Bros. Fruit Packing Co. The brothers moved their business a few times, first to Santa Rosa in 1890, then to Hayward in 1895.
Their small canning business grew very quickly. They focused on canning fruits and vegetables from California. By 1941, their factory was shipping a huge amount of canned goods. They sent out one hundred million cans of soup, fruits, vegetables, and juices every year!
Contents
How Hunt's Grew and Changed Owners
In 1943, another company took over Hunt's. This was Val Vita Food Products, started by Norton Simon. Val Vita was a competing company based in Fullerton, California. After they joined together, the company kept the "Hunt's" name. It became known as Hunt Food and Industries, Inc.
The new leaders, especially Norton Simon, decided to focus on canned tomato products. They especially wanted to make prepared tomato sauce.
Joining Other Companies
Hunt's Foods, Inc. joined with the Wesson Oil & Snowdrift Company in 1960. They became Hunt-Wesson Foods. Later, in 1968, Hunt-Wesson joined with two other companies. These were the McCall Corporation and Canada Dry. Together, they formed a big company called Norton Simon Inc.
Over the years, Norton Simon Inc. was bought by other companies. In 1983, Esmark bought it. Then, Esmark joined with Beatrice Foods in 1984. In 1985, a company called Kohlberg Kravis Roberts bought Beatrice. Their plan was to sell off different parts of the business.
Finally, in 1990, Hunt-Wesson was sold to a very large food company. This company was ConAgra Foods, which is now called Conagra Brands. This is the company that owns Hunt's today.
Moving Offices
In 1999, the ConAgra Grocery Products division, which included Hunt's, moved its office. It moved from Fullerton to Irvine, California. However, the Irvine office was closed in 2006.
What Products Does Hunt's Make?
Hunt's makes many different kinds of canned tomato sauce. But that's not all! The Hunt's brand also appears on many other products.
- Tomato paste
- Diced, whole, stewed, pureed, and crushed tomatoes
- Organic and No Salt Added tomato products
- Spaghetti sauce
- Ketchup
- Barbecue sauce
- Canned potatoes
- Canned peaches
Hunt's also has a line of products called Family Favorites. These are canned recipe helpers. The Hunt's brand name is also on Manwich brand sloppy joe products. It used to be on Hunt's Snack Pack Pudding too. Reddi-wip whipped cream was also originally part of the Hunt's family of brands.
Changes to Ketchup
In 1988, Hunt's catsup changed its label to "ketchup." In May 2010, Hunt's ketchup temporarily removed high fructose corn syrup from its ingredients. The new ingredients were "tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, salt and other seasonings." But in May 2012, the product changed back to using high fructose corn syrup.
As of May 2017, the sugar-based version has been available in the US. It is labeled as 100% Natural Tomato Ketchup. You can find it in specific sizes like 20 oz, 28 oz, 38.5 oz, and 62 oz.
Famous Endorsements
In December 2018, a famous athlete signed a deal with Hunt's. This was NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is well-known for how much he loves ketchup. He even puts it on unusual foods like steak and macaroni and cheese!
See also
External links
- Hunt's corporate website
