What is "bertolli"

Bertolli is an Italian food brand. Originating as a brand of extra-virgin olive oil, it grew into an international brand of Italian and Mediterranean food. The company was founded by Francesco Bertolli in 1865, in Lucca, Tuscany. The company was bought by Unilever.

Bertolli is known for its olive oil, in which it was the global market leader, but has now widened its range to include pasta sauces and ready meals. In 2008, Unilever sold the olive oil business to Grupo SOS (currently Grupo Deoleo), Spain’s second-largest food group, for £500m as part of its disposal of non-core businesses. The transaction included the sale of the Italian Maya, Dante, and San Giorgio olive oil and seed oil businesses, as well as the factory at Inveruno, Province of Milan, Lombardy. Unilever retained the Bertolli brand for all other categories including margarine, pasta sauces, and frozen meals. The frozen foods business under the Bertolli brand name was sold by Unilever to ConAgra Foods in August 2012.

On May 22, 2014, Unilever agreed to sell its North American pasta sauce business under the Ragu and Bertolli brands to the Mizkan Group of Japan for $2.15 billion.