MT. PROSPECT, Ill., June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Mizkan Euro-Americas, a leading global condiment manufacturer, today announced the signing of an agreement to purchase the UK based vinegar and sour pickle business from Premier Foods plc. The purchase includes the Sarson’s, Haywards and Dufrais lines of branded products. The sale is expected to close by the end of July.

Sarson’s Malt Vinegar and Haywards Pickled Vegetables are both #1 in their respective categories while the Dufrais brand is #2 in Specialty Vinegars. The brands are manufactured at a production facility in Middleton, near Manchester.

“We are excited about acquiring three very strong, iconic brands that have a deep heritage and tradition in the United Kingdom,” said Craig Smith, President and CEO of Mizkan Euro-Americas. “Both Sarson’s and Haywards have a loyal consumer following and we look forward to further investing in these brands and adding to that great legacy.” Mr. Smith stated that, “All of the brands fit well with our product portfolio in Europe and North America and represent an excellent strategic fit as we expand our business base in the UK and across Europe.”

Michael Clarke, Premier Foods CEO added, “This agreement represents another important step in our strategy to focus on our eight Power Brands. I’m delighted that we found a buyer like Mizkan, as our vinegar and pickle brands will greatly benefit from being part of a global player focused on vinegar and a wide variety of liquid condiments.”

Mizkan Euro-Americas is a leading condiment producer in North America and the UK, selling across all channels of trade including branded retail, private label retail, food service, and food ingredients. Mizkan’s leading retail condiment brands in the U.S. include Holland House cooking wines, Nakano rice vinegars, World Harbors marinades and sauces, El Diablo mustard and Border Foods, the nation’s oldest and most established processors of green chile, jalapeno and tomatillo peppers and manufacturers of enchilada sauces for both the branded and private label markets. Mizkan is a leading Asian condiment supplier in the retail and foodservice channels of trade. Mizkan’s food ingredients division supplies ingredients to numerous well known food manufacturers across several categories. Mizkan Europe is a leading manufacturer of vinegar and specialty Asian products with a plant located near Birmingham, England. This acquisition is expected to broadly expand their portfolio into the broader branded and private label condiments category.

About The Mizkan Group
The Mizkan Group, a global food manufacturer, is the parent company of Mizkan Euro-Americas. The Mizkan Group is a 207-year old privately held international food manufacturer, based in Handa City, Japan. The Mizkan Group has a stable of well-known international brands, under the “mizkan” umbrella brand and is a leader in the liquid condiment category. The Mizkan Group has operating facilities around the globe, including Japan, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong & Taiwan.

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SOURCE Mizkan Euro-Americas