Unilever has remained silent over reports it is looking for a buyer for its Wish-Bone salad dressings business in the US.

It is understood the firm has hired Goldman Sachs to find a buyer for the unit, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. The business is expected to fetch “hundreds of millions of dollars”, the publication noted.

A spokesperson for Unilever, however, declined to comment on the reports.

Unilever acquired the Wish-Bone brand through its acquisition of Lipton. The range includes around 20 brands of seasonings, dressings and marinades.

The consumer goods group, which has seen its non-food business grow faster than its food operations in recent years, has been offloading food brands. Its last divestment was the Skippy peanut butter in January to Hormel Foods, for a consideration of around US$700m.