B&G Foods’ sale of its Green Giant business in Canada could be blocked after a regulator said the divestiture may result in higher prices, fewer choices and reduced competition.
Canada’s Competition Bureau asked the country’s Competition Tribunal to block B&G’s sale of Canada’s Green Giant and Le Sueur brands to Nortera Foods. It also aimed to prevent the companies from closing the deal until the Tribunal issues a decision.
The Bureau stated that Nortera is already Canada's dominant processor of certain canned and frozen vegetables, including the Del Monte and Arctic Gardens brands. The transaction would combine Del Monte with Green Giant, “its only major national brand competitor." This would "harm competition in an already highly concentrated market,” the regulator said
In a statement, B&G stated that while it acknowledged the Bureau's position, evidence “supports that this transaction is in the best interests of all interested stakeholders, including the Canadian consumer.” The Ortega and Crisco maker went on to add that it remains “in discussions with Nortera and we are evaluating multiple options, including potential legal, regulatory and operational alternatives.”
B&G, once a serial acquirer, has prioritized slimming down its portfolio to focus on core areas and rid itself of noncore businesses such as vegetables and snacks. B&G announced the Green Giant sale to Nortera last October and said it expected the sale to close in the second quarter of 2026.
The New Jersey-based B&G previously sold the Green Giant U.S. shelf-stable vegetable product line to Seneca Foods in November 2023 and the Le Sueur U.S. shelf-stable vegetable product line to McCall Farms in August 2025.
Last week, B&G named board member Robert Mills as its new CEO. He takes over from Casey Keller, who has been CEO since June 2021.
