Mars Purchases Natural Foods Meal Company

Mars Inc., a global leader in confectionery, food, and pet care products and services, has signed an agreement to acquire Kevin’s Natural Foods, a high-growth, nutritious meal company, to join its leading brands in the Mars Food & Nutrition segment.

Kevin’s Natural Foods makes chef-inspired sous-vide meals, sides, and sauces using whole foods and simple ingredients. Consumers can eat healthier food in minutes, without sacrificing on bold world flavors. Kevin’s has enjoyed double-digit growth since it was founded in 2019 and is now available in more than 17,000 retail locations, including grocery stores to digital commerce. Kevin’s Natural Foods will operate as a standalone business within Mars Food & Nutrition, reporting to Mars' President, Shaid Shah.

Kevin’s Natural Foods will play a key role in Mars Food & Nutrition’s ongoing journey to enable delicious, healthier eating in consumers’ daily lives. Kevin’s products will complement Mars Food & Nutrition’s core portfolio and recent product innovations.

Mars Food & Nutrition segment includes 13 brands around the world available in more than 30 countries. Brands include Ben's Original, MasterFoods, Seeds of Change, Tasty Bite, and Dolmio.

“We are excited to welcome Kevin’s Natural Foods to the Mars Food & Nutrition family of businesses. We have been hugely inspired by Kevin’s, a business whose mission fits squarely with our purpose: Better Food Today. A Better World Tomorrow. Kevin’s products are of a very high quality, nutritious, and convenient, without compromising on flavor, and are enjoyed by an engaged and loyal customer base across North America,
 said Shaid Shah, Global president, Mars Food & Nutrition. "The Kevin’s Natural Foods team has delivered impressive growth since it was founded four years ago, and we look forward to drawing on our experience of nurturing and scaling founder-led brands to help bring their products to even more people.”

Kevin’s Natural Foods was co-founded by Dan Costa, Kelsie Costa-Olson, and Kevin McCray. The company was born from Kevin’s desire to be healthier himself, as well as to help other people eat well.

Founded in 2019, the company is headquartered in Modesto, CA, and has approximately 180 employees, with products currently sold in the US, UK, Canada, and Mexico.

“Mars Food & Nutrition shares our vision and passion for the role food plays in people’s lives. We founded Kevin’s with the mission to empower even the busiest people to eat nutritious, great tasting meals in minutes. Joining the Mars Food & Nutrition portfolio of brands will allow us to accelerate the development of more product innovations and support our mission of bringing Kevin’s to more consumers across markets," said Kevin McCray, president and co-founder of Kevin’s Natural Foods.

The transaction is expected to close in third quarter 2023.