Hain Celestial buys H.J. Heinz’s Linda McCartney Brand

Hain Celestial buys H.J. Heinz’s Linda McCartney Brand

Hain Celestial buys H.J. Heinz’s Linda McCartney Brand

Hain Celestial Group Inc. and H.J. Heinz Co. are today singing the old Beatles hit "Come Together."

That's because they have. The Melville-based manufacturer of organic foods and grooming products, announced it has finally inked a deal to buy Heinz's Linda McCartney brand frozen vegetarian foods unit.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In a statement before markets opened, Hain said it had agreed to buy the Linda McCartney brand (under license) frozen meat-free business from Heinz, including the manufacturing facility in Fakenham, England.

Irwin D. Simon, Hain's chief executive officer, said in a statement that the company is "excited to have the opportunity to work with the McCartney family in expanding the Linda McCartney frozen meat-free business in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe as well as throughout North America."

In a statement, representatives of the McCartney family said that "We believe the visions of both our companies fit perfectly with our desire to encourage more and more people to eat pure, vegetarian food. It was this desire that motivated Linda when she started Linda McCartney Foods originally and we hope to continue her good work and in doing so, her legacy."

Linda McCartney, an avid vegetarian who helped popularize the diet in the 1980s through her line of frozen foods, died in 1998 from breast cancer. Her husband, Paul McCartney, is one of two surviving members of the four-member Beatles group.

Hain said in May that it was in "advanced" talks to acquire the Linda McCartney brand.

Hain said that the purchase will probably add to earnings in the company's 2007 fiscal year.

In May, Hain also announced the acquisition of the Fresh Prepared Foods Business in Luton, England, from Heinz.

Heinz once had a six-million share stake in Hain, but has sold its holdings.

Slimming waistlines have meant growing sales for Hain, which said it earned $9.7 million in its most recent quarter, a 27 percent hike from the same period last year. Hain said that sales advanced in the quarter to a record $196.4 million.

Hain has about 1,500 employees.