California tomato processor buys Del Monte Foods facility

Woodland, California-based Morning Star Tomatoes has purchased a Del Monte Foods property near Hanford, owner Chris Rufer told the Hanford (California) Sentinel.

Morning Star, which operates three California factories, processes about 40% of the state’s tomato production and supplies a significant portion of the U.S. food industry’s tomato paste and sauce, according to the report.

Del Monte announced late last year it would close the 670,000-square-foot processing plant, laying off 378 workers. Del Monte is not processing the 2025 tomato crop and will vacate the building in June.

Rufer said Morning Star does not plan to use the plant for tomato processing, citing a decline in the popularity of canned tomato products within the 18-to-30-year-old market segment. He said the company will try to sell the property.

“It would work for a food processing operation but it is set up to process tomatoes,” he told the paper.