Unilever divests German pasta sauces to Italian competitor

Unilever continues its strategic divestment by selling its German pasta sauce range under the Knorr brand to Italian food producer Casalasco.

Transition details

After the sale of brands such as Unox and Conimex, Unilever continues to divest in order to better focus on what the company refers to as its core activities. As such, the ‘Tomato al Gusto’ and ‘Speciale al Gusto’ product lines in Germany will transfer to Casalasco on 1 March. During a transitional period of twelve months, the acquirer will still be permitted to use the Knorr brand name for these specific pasta sauces.

Casalasco, known for brands such as Pomì, Pomito, and De Rica, specialises in tomato products and achieved a turnover of 630 million euros in 2023. For distribution in Germany, the company will collaborate with Hengstenberg, the market leader in the tomato preserves segment with the brand Oro di Parma. Notably, Unilever Food Solutions’ business clientele in Germany is excluded from this transaction.