Consumer goods giant Unilever has announced the sale of the pasta sauce range Tomato al Gusto and Speciale al Gusto in Germany to Italian food firm Casalasco.
The move is part of Unilever's strategy to streamline its food portfolio and focus on core segments.
The Tomato al Gusto range has been on German supermarket shelves under the Knorr brand for over twenty years.
A Premium Range
The sauces are part of a premium range of tomato products, available in 370- or 500-gram packs.
The range features various plant-based recipes, including a ready-to-use carbonara variant.
Casalasco will obtain the right to use the Knorr brand exclusively for this range of pasta sauces for a transitional period of 12 months.
The Knorr brand will remain wholly owned by Unilever.
As part of the deal, the transfer of the product range will take effect on 1 March 2025.
Casalasco
Casalasco is among the top suppliers of tomato products, and its portfolio includes brands such as Pomì, Pomito, and De Rica.
The addition of the Tomato al Gusto pasta sauce range is an ideal addition to its range of products.
Casalasco will work with its long-standing marketing partner Hengstenberg GmbH & Co. KG for distribution in Germany.
The portfolio of Unilever Food Solutions, the company's large customer business, is not affected by this transaction.
In December 2024, Unilever has announced that it received a binding offer from Zwanenberg Food Group to acquire the Unox and Zwan brands.
Both brands have been part of the Unilever portfolio for almost 100 years – the Dutch Unox brand since 1937, and the Belgian Zwan brand since 1928.
