House Foods America Corp., Garden Grove, Calif., a subsidiary of House Foods Corp., Tokyo, acquired El Burrito Mexican Food Products Inc., a leading healthy Mexican food brand based in City of Industry, Calif. The transaction includes substantially all the assets of the company, which will be renamed El Burrito Mexican Foods Products Corp. and become a subsidiary of House Foods Holding USA Inc. Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.

“El Burrito is an established and successful company that has grown and prospered at the hands of its founders, Mark and Grace Roth, who share a great passion for their products,” says Shigeru Natake, president of House Foods America. “El Burrito’s corporate philosophy is very similar to that of House Foods America, so we believe we will enjoy great synergy as we work together in the future. Adding healthy Mexican food products to our existing Asian line will allow us to offer consumers a wider variety of healthy lifestyle choices. In the U.S. market, where many different cultures coexist, we anticipate accelerated growth and expanded profits as a result.”

Formed in 1980, El Burrito was the first company in California to offer fresh salsas, which were sold in the deli and meat departments of local grocery stores. In the 1990s, El Burrito pioneered soy products with traditional Mexican food flavor, including Soyrizo, a soy meat analogue brand in the Mexican food segment. The company also offers masas used to make tortillas and tamales.