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ConAgra Foods shutters Knott’s jelly operations in Placentia
December 22nd, 2008, 10:38 am · 14 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
ConAgra Foods has officially shut down jelly operations in Placentia — the food giant’s only Orange County manufacturing plant.
“We have already ceased production of Knott’s Berry Farm products at the Placentia facility. Remaining employees are working to transition certain assets of the facility to J.M. Smucker and are preparing the plant for closing,” said Jeff Mochal, a spokesman for ConAgra Foods in Omaha, Neb.
Knott’s products became a ConAgra Foods brand in 1995. The food manufacturing giant announced plans in May to sell the Knott’s Berry Farm brand of jams, jellies and preserves to the J.M. Smucker Co. Smucker is not making the jelly in Placentia, forcing ConAgra to close the plant.
Roughly 90 employees worked at the plant. Most have received severance packages and have already left the facility, Mochal said. Some people are still working at the plant, preparing it for closure sometime next year, Mochal added.
Prior story: ConAgra in O.C. sells Knott’s jelly to J.M. Smucker
To read more Orange County food and restaurant news, read Nancy Luna’s Fast Food Maven blog.
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pretty weak… so where ARE they making it??
Decades ago it may have been practical, but there is so little farming in OC that raw materials have to be brought in instead of grown here. Plus Cal. labor rates and taxes are among the highest in the nation.
MMMM Corn Syrup filled jelly…NOT!
Mrs. Knott is rolling over in her gravy.
Well, the did plow the berry fields to put in the amusement park, so no more local fruits for the jellies.
Oh well, thats progress for ya.
With a name like Smuckers, it’s gotta be filler with high-frutose corn syrup!
Remember when Knott’s preserves were actually good?
The problem is the American public has been screwed over by manufactures using HFCS over sugar. And a large part of the public is to dumb to know the difference & how bad it is for you.
While all you Californians are “Svaing the Planet” , business we go elswhere.
I have boisenberries growing in my yard,
Mmmmmm, Smuckers.
Well, looks like I won’t be buying any more Knott’s jelly. Smuckers, yech!
I remember walking as a young boy by that field which eventually became the plant for Knott’s preserve. At the time I thought it was an ugly thing to see when the field looked better. When they finally got up to full production I found the smell of the berries very welcoming. It was a treat in the mornings when I walked to Junior High and eventually High School. Always put me in the mood for baked goods with boysenberries in them. Time moves on.
they have rail access in that area, close to the main artery that brings in everything from la/long beach. i’m sure they’re getting raw materials easily. and my recollection, last time i saw a knotts premium jelly product (that was made in placentia) it had sugar on the ingredient list. only stuff ur grandma used. the regular grocery store gruel maybe a diff story. they’ll probably make it in mississippi and pay workers $7/hr. they won’t pass along a single penny they save. pocket it all and jack their bonuses for doing it. mmmmm, raw capitalism. creative destruction baby, u just gotta love it. lets elect more republicans and we can all get $7/hr no benefits. sweet.
Hey, what’s wrong with $7 an hour? In a few years, that will be middle class. The poor will be sneaking across the border into mexico for the other jobs.