Business & Finance

Conagra Ends Production of Celeste Frozen Pizzas After 60 Years

By Trisha Bhattacharya

Conagra Brands has stopped producing Celeste frozen pizzas, ending a brand that had been on American grocery freezers for nearly six decades. The move is part of a broader effort to simplify the company’s product portfolio and focus on businesses with stronger growth prospects. A Conagra representative confirmed that production had ceased as part of the company’s SKU rationalisation process, which reviews individual products and removes those that no longer fit its business priorities. The decision was also discussed during Conagra’s earnings call in September. CEO John Brase said the company is prepared to discontinue smaller brands that offer limited financial returns, noting that some brands and categories simply do not have a future. Conagra’s review extends beyond Celeste, examining its wider range of products, including more than 400 single‑serve meal items, to reduce complexity and direct investment toward higher‑potential businesses. The company plans to increase investment in categories such as meat snacks and popcorn while seeking opportunities to strengthen its core businesses. The benefits of the portfolio review are expected to build over the next 12 to 18 months, Food Dive reported. Although production has ended, shoppers may still find Celeste pizzas in some supermarkets while existing stocks last. A Conagra spokesperson told Fox Business that the company would continue selling its remaining inventory, but no further Celeste products will be produced once those supplies are exhausted. For consumers who have relied on the brand as an inexpensive meal option, the distinction offers little long-term comfort, as availability will depend on how quickly retailers sell through their remaining stock. The brand traces its origins to Celeste “Mama” Lizio, who built a food business in the Chicago area before selling it to Quaker Oats in 1969, according to Fox Business, which cited a 1988 Los Angeles Times obituary. Over the decades, Celeste became familiar to generations of shoppers looking for convenient, affordable pizza. Its departure has revived memories of supermarket promotions and family members who regularly kept the pizzas in their freezers. The discontinuation is therefore more than a portfolio decision for some customers; it marks the disappearance of a familiar product that had been part of everyday life beyond the freezer aisle.