Snack company makes majority investment in Fresca Foods

Third-party snack manufacturer Cerealto has made a majority investment in Colorado-based Fresca Foods, a co-manufacturer of natural and organic snacks.

The investment marks a major expansion into the U.S. market for Cerealto, which provides private-label manufacturing for major retailers and co-manufacturing for brands in Europe and Mexico, and will accelerate the scale of manufacturing and innovation for both companies, according to a news release.

“Partnering with Fresca Foods’ leadership team gives us a strong foothold in the world’s largest snacking market, shifting our business from predominantly European to truly international,” Cerealto CEO Bosco Fonts said. “With around 20% of our sales set to come from the U.S. through this partnership, this is a transformative step for Cerealto. The U.S. organic snacking category is already valued at around $32 billion and is projected to grow at more than 6% annually, so this is a huge opportunity to expand our footprint globally.”

Fresca Foods co-manufactures U.S. and international brands across five key categories: snack bars, granola, breakfast cereals, crackers and cookies.

“Together with Cerealto, we have the platform, expertise and shared ambition to accelerate growth as the leading co-manufacturing and private label snacking partner,” Fresca Foods CEO Brandon Viar said. We are truly excited for this next chapter in Fresca’s journey and the opportunities it will unlock for our team members, customers, and community.”