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General Mills Considers Sale Of Progresso, Helper Brands: Report

By Dayeeta Das
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General Mills Considers Sale Of Progresso, Helper Brands: Report

General Mills Inc is considering the sale of its soup brand Progresso and ready-to-eat meals label Helper for $3 billion, Bloomberg News reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The Cheerios cereal maker is working with Goldman Sachs Group Inc for the potential sale, which also includes some of its smaller brands, the report said.

The move comes months after General Mills announced the sale of its majority stake in the European operations of Yoplait to French dairy cooperative Sodiaal in exchange for full ownership of the yogurt maker's Canadian business.

Soups And Boxed Meals

Progresso, which General Mills acquired in 2001 when it bought Pillsbury, offers canned soups, broths and chili, while Helper sells boxed pasta meals.

The packaged food maker, which acquired Tyson Foods' pet treats business earlier this year, reported upbeat quarterly results in September, riding high on a surge in demand during the pandemic.

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General Mills and Goldman Sachs both declined Reuters' requests for comment.

In September, the Cheerios maker reported better-than-expected first-quarter sales, as strong growth in its pet foods business cushioned a slowdown in demand for its cooking sauces and baking products.

In the following month, it issued its inaugural sustainability-linked bond aligned to the company’s efforts to combat climate change.

The 10-year, $500 million sustainability-linked bond is tied to measurable improvements on the pathway to its commitment to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30% across its value chain by 2030, the company added.

News by Reuters, edited by ESM. For more A-Brands news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.

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