Sanfilippo Expands From Nuts Into Cheese Snacks

Dec. 22, 2022

Fisher Nuts parent buys Just the Cheese brand from Specialty Cheese Co.

John B. Sanfilippo & Son, the parent of Fisher Nuts, on Dec. 16 bought into a new category for the firm. It purchased “substantially all of the assets” of the Just the Cheese brand business from Specialty Cheese Co. Purchase price and many additional details were not disclosed.

Just the Cheese is a line of baked cheese products using real cheese to create snack bars and cheese crisps. Sanfilippo says the baked cheese snack category is currently estimated to be at $100 million. Just the Cheese products can be found online and in a variety of retail outlets.

The selling company, Specialty Cheese, makes or sells more traditional cheese varieties from around the world.

“The acquisition of Just the Cheese will provide us a product that expands our portfolio into new snacking categories,” said CEO Jeffery Sanfilippo. “Additionally, the assets and capabilities acquired will be complimentary to our existing product portfolio and are expected to lead to exciting innovation opportunities.”

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.