Mizkan America buys barbeque sauce maker Born Simple

Mizkan America has acquired organic barbeque sauce and broth brand, Born Simple, in a move to expand into the natural foods channel.

Born Simple produces a range of barbeque sauces in flavours such as tamari chipotle and lemongrass mustard, as well as broth concentrates.

The brand’s offerings are said to be made with simple ingredients and are sold at Whole Foods Market stores across the US.

Through the acquisition, Mizkan America aims to expand both into the natural foods channel and into the millennial and Gen Z markets.

Mizkan America president and chief operating officer, Diego Palmieri, said: “Born Simple is an exciting addition to the Mizkan family of brands. As a leader in the US pasta sauce and vinegar categories, this acquisition takes us into adjacent categories. We also believe that Born Simple has great potential for expansion and future growth.”

Born Simple founder and CEO, Rob Johnson, added: “We are excited to partner with Mizkan because its mission to combine delicious taste with healthy choices represents a set of values closely aligned to our own.

“We are curating a brand of USDA Organic products that will give consumers simple, delicious and healthy options across the grocery store. Our partnership with Mizkan will allow us to scale our impact in an incredibly profound way.”

The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Last year, Mizkan America agreed to divest its US-based chili pepper business to Olam Food Ingredients for $108.5 million.