Stamford’s Preferred Brands to be acquired by Mars Food

Ashok Vasudevan, CEO of Preferred Brands International, poses with some of the products in his Stamford office on Dec. 16, 2011. Ashok Vasudevan, CEO of Preferred Brands International, poses with some of the products in his Stamford office on Dec. 16, 2011. Photo: Dru Nadler / Dru Nadler Photo: Dru Nadler / Dru Nadler Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Stamford’s Preferred Brands to be acquired by Mars Food 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

STAMFORD — Mars Food announced Monday it would acquire Stamford-based Preferred Brands International, which makes Indian and other Asian food products under the Tasty Bite brand.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Preferred Brands CEO Ashok Vasudevan cited Mars Food’s status as one of the largest food companies in the world, the ability to grow Tasty Bite and leadership in corporate sustainability initiatives as factors in his firm’s decision to merge with the Brussels, Belgium-based multinational, which is part of Mars Inc.

“We’re thrilled to be joining the Mars Food family,” Vasudevan said in a statement. “The nearly quarter-century of uninterrupted growth of Tasty Bite since its inception was powered by our deep commitment to sustainable practices and to the pursuit of consumer delight.”

Mars Food officials said Tasty Bite products would complement Mars’ portfolio of 12 brands, including a billion-dollar product line in Uncle Ben’s rice.

“Mars Food will expand our all-natural vegetarian offerings in the U.S., and leverage Tasty Bite’s strong product development pipeline, flavor expertise and strategic sourcing of quality ingredients throughout our portfolio,” Mars Food Global President Fiona Dawson said in a statement.

Tasty Bite’s products include entrees, organic rices and grains, Asian Noodles, and a Spice and Simmer sauce kit line. The products are available in grocery stores across North America, which is the firm’s largest market, as well as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Many Tasty Bite offerings are organic, and none have artificial ingredients such as preservatives, colors, flavors or genetically modified organisms, the company said.

Tasty Bite manufactures products at its Pune, India, facility and exports mostly to the U.S. Preferred Brands also operates a food-service business through which it supplies products to other food manufacturers and “quick-service” restaurants in India.

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