Heinz Sells Off Weight Watchers Business

H. J. Heinz Company has signed a definitive agreement for the sale of the Weight Watchers weight control business to a unit of Artal Luxembourg, S.A., a European private investment firm. The sale does not include Weight Watchers core food businesses such as Weight Watchers Smart Ones frozen meals, desserts and breakfast items,Weight Watchers from Heinz in the UK and a broad range of other Weight Watchers branded foods in Heinz's global core product categories.

Heinz president and CEO William Johnson said. "Weight Watchers is the gold standard in the global weight control business, but its services orientation does not fit with Heinz's long-term food growth strategy, and this sale enables us to focus on Weight Watchers foods and our other global food businesses."