Verde Valle Foods has struck a deal to acquire A Dozen Cousins, a US-based food business offering beans, rice and seasoning products based on Caribbean and Latin American recipes.

The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.

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Founded in 2019 by Ibraheem Basir, A Dozen Cousins’ makes Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American recipe-inspired products, available at retailers from Walmart to Whole Foods Market.

Basir will continue with the brand as general manager.

In a LinkedIn post announcing the deal, he highlighted the “biggest challenge” for the business over the last few years “has been to physically keep up with the demand for our products”.

He said Verde Valle Foods are “pioneers” in the pouched meals segment, adding the takeover will “dramatically strengthen our supply chain and make it easier to share our products with more people”.

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“At the same time, we will be able to invest more in innovation and marketing to continue building a brand that people love”, Basir said.

Verde Valle Foods is the US arm of Verde Valle, a third-generation family-owned Mexican company established in 1967.

Germán Rosales Jr, US CEO of Verde Valle Foods, said: “A Dozen Cousins fits right into our growth strategy for ready-to-eat meals in a pouch and will allow Verde Valle to further expand into the natural products segment.”

Headquartered in Texas, Verde Valle Foods has been operating in the US for 16 years.

It manufactures, sells, and distributes ready-to-eat beans, Mexican meals and says it was the “first brand” to introduce beans in a pouch.

The company’s portfolio includes its namesake rice and beans brand, as well as the Isadora brand that offers beans-in-pouch and refried beans.

Last month, Private-equity firm Apex Capital has acquired a majority stake in California-based, Mexican-style foods business Juanita’s Foods.

Juanita’s Foods offers a range of shelf-stable Mexican staples including menudo, pozole, hominy, albondigas and nacho cheese.

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