Del Monte Foods bankruptcy sales lead to California plant closure. What to know
Del Monte Foods has selected three winning bidders in its court-supervised auction, the company announced.
In a news release issued Thursday, Jan. 15, Del Monte Foods said the proposed transactions “would reunify the Del Monte brand and create a multi-category food platform.”
The auction followed the company’s bankruptcy filing on July 1, which triggered the sale of properties across the country and led to several facility closures.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is Del Monte Foods?
Del Monte Foods is a Walnut Creek-based company best known for its packaged fruits and vegetables, along with other pantry staples.
Founded more than 135 years ago, the company operates a portfolio of well-known brands, including Contadina, Kitchen Basics and Joyba, according to its website.
“We believe that everyone deserves great tasting food they can feel good about, which is why we grow and produce our products using sustainable and earth-friendly practices for a healthier tomorrow,” Del Monte said.
Who is acquiring Del Monte Foods’ assets?
Del Monte Foods has reached agreements to sell “substantially all of” its assets and business operations to three different buyers, according to the company website.
Each company will take over a specific part of Del Monte Foods’ business, allowing the brands to continue operating under new ownership.
Fresh Del Monte Produce will acquire the company’s vegetable, tomato and refrigerated fruit businesses, according to the Thursday news release.
The deal includes well-known brands such as Del Monte and S&W packaged vegetables; Contadina and Take Root Organics tomato products; Del Monte refrigerated fruit; and the Joyba beverage brand.
“The transaction brings the Del Monte brand under a single owner for the first time in nearly four decades, aligning fresh and shelf-stable foods under one integrated strategy,” Fresh Del Monte’s CEO Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh said in the news release.
Fresh Del Monte will also “gain global ownership of the Del Monte brand.”
According to PR Newswire, B&G Foods Inc. will purchase Del Monte Foods’ broth and stock business, which includes the College Inn and Kitchen Basics brands.
Pacific Coast Producers will acquire Del Monte Foods’ shelf-stable fruit business, excluding production facilities.
This sale includes the rights to use the Del Monte and S&W brands for canned fruit and fruit sauces sold in the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico, PR Newswire reported.
The sales still need approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, Del Monte Foods said, a hearing is scheduled for Jan. 28.
If approved, Del Monte Foods expects the ownership transitions to be completed “by the end of the first quarter of 2026.”
Del Monte announces California plant closure
After Del Monte Foods filed for bankruptcy on July 1, the company put its properties up for auction across the country.
The company only operates one plant in California.
No buyers stepped forward to keep the Modesto fruit cannery operating, The Modesto Bee reported.
Del Monte Foods plans to shut down its Modesto cannery — which will cost about 600 year-round jobs and another 1,200 seasonal jobs during harvest season.
“It’s just horrible for us,” business coordinator Odus Hall told The Bee. “... We were hopeful that they would be able to right the ship and find a buyer.”
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 1:56 PM.
