Barilla Group has entered into an agreement to acquire Back to Nature from B&G Foods. Back to Nature features a portfolio of plant-based, non-GMO products in the cookies, crackers, granola, nuts, and trail mix categories. Founded in 1960, the brand is mainly distributed in the U.S. natural and specialty channels.

Barilla, a fourth-generation, family-owned company founded in 1877, is an international food company offering pasta and bakery products, with a presence in more than 100 countries. It has operated in the U.S. since 1996 and is currently the top-selling pasta brand. The acquisition of Back to Nature is reportedly consistent with Barilla's long-term strategy to build a multi-brand bakery platform in the U.S., where the company already leads the crispbread category with the Wasa brand. 

Barilla is currently a leader in the European bakery products sector with expertise in better-for-you snacking products. According to the company, the acquisition of Back to Nature provides Barilla with a strong platform from which to grow in the North American bakery marketplace. 

“At Barilla, we aspire to build a long-term and significant presence in the U.S. baking industry and this operation reminds me of when we first started our journey with pasta over 25 years ago and we are now the market leader. The acquisition of Back to Nature is a key step for this exciting journey,” says Guido Barilla, chairman of the Barilla Group. “We focus all our business activities and products on health and indulgence and hence Back to Nature was a natural choice. We are excited to see how our efforts will evolve in the future.”