Shelf-stable and frozen food manufacturer B&G Foods has completed the sale of its B&M and Joan of Arc bean brands to US canned vegetable producer McCall Farms.
The transaction encompasses the B&M brand of traditional baked beans and canned brown bread, alongside the Joan of Arc portfolio of kidney beans, chilli beans, and speciality canned beans.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
B&G Foods confirmed that it intends to allocate the net proceeds generated from the divestiture toward paying down its long-term corporate debt, supporting ongoing efforts to deleverage its balance sheet.
"The sale of the B&M and Joan of Arc brands is another step in our efforts to simplify our portfolio, focus on our core brands and strengthen our balance sheet," said Robert D. Mills, President and Chief Executive Officer of B&G Foods. "We remain focused on taking actions that support profitable growth and reduce leverage. We believe McCall Farms is the right owner for these brands going forward."
Portfolio Rationalisation
The disposal aligns with B&G Foods' ongoing corporate programme to streamline its enterprise architecture and divest non-core ambient food lines.
Over recent fiscal periods, the New Jersey-based packaged goods manufacturer has evaluated its multi-category holdings to identify assets that operate outside its primary growth pillars. Divesting mature, regional canned bean assets provides the company with non-dilutive liquidity to service corporate debt facilities and lower interest expenses amid elevated borrowing costs.
The divestiture follows earlier portfolio adjustments by B&G Foods, which has progressively rationalised non-priority SKUs to channel working capital and brand-building expenditure toward higher-margin categories, including spices, seasonings, meal enhancers, and frozen vegetables.
Brand Assets and Footprint
The transaction transfers two established heritage labels in the North American canned legume category to McCall Farms:
🥫 B&M: Established in Portland, Maine, the historic brand is best known for New England-style brick-oven baked beans slow-cooked in molasses and brown sugar, alongside its traditional canned New England brown bread.
🫘 Joan of Arc: An established brand across centre-store ambient grocery fixtures, providing canned dark red kidney beans, light red kidney beans, black beans, and prepared chilli beans for home culinary preparation.
The incorporation of both lines reinforces McCall Farms' operating footprint across shelf-stable canned vegetable manufacturing, adding high-recognition legacy brands to its canning infrastructure.
McCall Farms and Ambient Vegetable Operations
Headquartered in Effingham, South Carolina, family-owned McCall Farms operates extensive canning and agricultural processing infrastructure across the southeastern United States.
The acquisition complements McCall Farms’ existing portfolio of canned southern vegetables, legumes, and packaged produce, which includes brands such as Glory Foods, Margaret Holmes, Bruce's Yams, and Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts. By absorbing B&M and Joan of Arc, the manufacturer deepens its retail distribution across conventional grocery aisles and expands its geographical reach into northeastern and Midwestern US bean fixtures.
Headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, B&G Foods continues to manufacture and distribute branded shelf-stable and frozen foods across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, maintaining a portfolio of more than 45 consumer brands including Bear Creek, College Inn, Cream of Wheat, Dash, Ortega, and Green Giant.
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