Conagra Brands has ended production of Celeste frozen pizzas, the company said during earnings remarks late last month.
Celeste Frozen Pizzas Will Be Phased Out As Conagra Ends Production And Allows Retailers To Sell Existing Inventory.
Conagra chief executive John Brase said the move reflects a decision to divest smaller, less profitable brands and concentrate on products with stronger growth potential, as reported by Fox Business.
A Conagra spokesperson told Fox Business that retailers may continue to sell any existing Celeste inventory on their shelves while supplies last.
Reactions Background And Legacy
The announcement prompted a wave of online nostalgia and mixed reactions from consumers who recalled the brand's role in family meals and childhood memories.
Commenters on social media and a food blogger's Instagram post shared memories and short tributes, with one person writing "RIP Mama Celeste. You were a good one. Those 10 for $10 deals were the pinnacle of the 90s."
Others offered more blunt assessments, with one person calling it "cardboard pizza" and another saying "This is sad news. No pizza was so awful but loved by so many." A separate commenter wrote "This was my childhood pizza."
The Celeste brand traces to Celeste "Mama" Lizio and her husband, Anthony, who opened a Chicago restaurant and tavern in 1937 and later shifted to producing frozen pizzas and Italian foods for local restaurants, according to a 1988 Los Angeles Times obituary.
The couple launched the Celeste brand in 1962. Quaker Oats acquired the brand in 1969 and expanded distribution nationwide, and Mama Celeste served as the brand's spokesperson, the obituary noted.
The Independent has contacted Conagra for comment regarding the brand's discontinuation and any plans for related product lines or trademark use.
