Conagra Brands has stopped producing Celeste frozen pizzas, the company disclosed during its fiscal first quarter 2027 earnings remarks on Sept. 30.
A Conagra spokesperson confirmed to FOX Business that production has ended and that remaining packages will be sold until inventory is exhausted, with no new product planned afterwards.
The company said the exit reduced first quarter net sales by about 15 basis points but is expected to be accretive to margins going forward, as reported during the same earnings update.
Chief executive John Brase described the move as part of a broader push to cut complexity across Conagra's portfolio. He said the company does not see a viable future for some smaller, low profit brands and called the decision bold.
Brase noted Conagra carries more than 400 single serve meal stock keeping units, and he said management will seek similar simplification opportunities to streamline the company's core platforms.
Reactions History And Implications
News of the discontinuation prompted widespread nostalgia on social media, with users recalling childhood meals and bargain deals. FOX Business and TODAY reported posts on Instagram and Reddit, including one Redditor saying they had lived on the pizzas when they were broke.
The brand traces to Celeste Lizio, who was born in Sant'Angelo all'Esca, Italy, in 1908 and emigrated to the United States in the 1930s, TODAY reported. She developed recipes while running a family grocery and restaurant in Chicago.
TODAY detailed how the Lizios shifted to wholesale sales in the 1950s, and how the Quaker Oats Company bought the brand in 1969. Celeste's daughter opened Clara's restaurant in 1987, and Celeste died in 1988, according to the same account.
Conagra's decision fits a stated company strategy to rationalize SKUs. The company owns several legacy food brands and told TODAY that stopping Celeste production was part of SKU rationalization, a move meant to simplify assortments and improve productivity.
