Jun 14, 2006 9:52 AM, from staff and wire reports

The Hain Celestial Group Inc has acquired the Linda McCartney brand frozen meat-free business from the H J Heinz Co, including a manufacturing facility in Fakenham, England. Offering meat-free sausages, ready meals, and pastry products, the Linda McCartney brand is licensed under an agreement with Linda Enterprises Ltd.

"We now have the premier meat-free brand which will further support our expansion of natural and organic products. Acquiring the Linda McCartney range of vegetarian products reinforces our commitment to growing in this marketplace," said Irwin D Simon, president and chief executive officer of Hain Celestial.

A statement released by the McCartney family said, "We believe that the visions of both our companies fit perfectly with our desire to encourage more and more people to eat pure, vegetarian food."

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Hain Celestial's earnings during its fiscal year 2007. In May, Hain Celestial also acquired Heinz's Fresh Prepared Foods Business in Luton, England.