LONDON – Unilever said on Thursday that it had agreed to sell its North American pasta sauce business under the Ragu and Bertolli brands to the Mizkan Group of Japan for $2.15 billion.

The deal represents the latest step in efforts by Unilever, a British-Dutch company, to focus on higher-margin personal care products, particularly in emerging markets.

Unilever’s share price fell 0.7 percent, to 26.75 pounds, in afternoon trading in London on Thursday.

In April, Unilever, whose brands include Vaseline skin care products, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Lipton tea, announced it was conducting a strategic review of its North American pasta sauce business and of its Slim-Fast weight-loss brand.

“This sale represents one of the final steps in reshaping our portfolio in North America to deliver sustainable growth for Unilever, and enables us to sharpen our focus within our foods business,” Kees Kruythoff, the president of Unilever North America, said in a statement. “The Ragu and Bertolli business leads the pasta sauce category in the United States, and we believe that the potential of both brands can be fully realized with Mizkan.”

The sale includes a sauce processing and packaging facility in Owensboro, Ky., and a tomato processing facility in Stockton, Calif. Unilever retained the right to sell Ragu and Bertolli in Europe.

Ragu and Bertolli have annual revenue of more than $600 million, Unilever said.

The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close by the end of June.

Unilever has been reshaping its portfolio of brands, selling its Wish-Bone salad dressing and Skippy peanut butter brands last year.

The deal is the latest acquisition for Mizkan, the 210-year-old privately held maker of vinegar, seasonings, cooking wine, dressings and other condiments.

Mizkan acquired Border Foods, a processor of jalapeño peppers, in 2011, and the British food brands Sarson’s, Haywards and Dufrais last year. Mizkan has been looking in recent years to diversify its business from the Japanese market.

“This transaction represents an important milestone in our global expansion strategy,” Kazuhide Nakano, Mizkan’s chairman and chief executive, said in a statement. “We are confident that this transaction allows us to further achieve our objectives of diversification and expansion of our international footprint.”