General Mills to integrate remaining Pillsbury flour brands

General Mills has underlined its commitment to bakery by integrating Pillsbury bakery flour brands into its bakery ingredients segment.

The Pillsbury bakery flour brands were originally licensed to ADM. General Mills has now decided to manage the brands itself as the agreement has come to an end.

General Mills will now integrate the brands and products into its existing bakery product line.

Pillsbury licensed over 60 brands to ADM in 1998 and General Mills upheld the agreement after it purchased Pillsbury in 2001.

ADM used the brands, which consist of the 25-pound bags and larger products, to market and sell its bakery flour.

"General Mills' long-term commitment to the bakery business is evident as we introduce the Pillsbury Bakery Flour products into our existing Pillsbury product line of mix and frozen bakery products," said Greg Schlafer, director of General Mills' bakery ingredients segment.

"In addition to complementing the existing Pillsbury product portfolio, General Mills will now market two of the best-known bakery flour brands in the industry - Pillsbury and Golden Medal," he said.

Management said that the move with give the company greater brand representation.

The General Mills Bakeries and Foodservices division sells a wide range of products to the retail bakery market including flour, dry baking mixes and frozen products such as puff pastry.

The division also sells dry baking mixes and flour to the foodservice, restaurant and wholesale bakery markets.

Furthermore it supplies General Mills branded cereal, yoghurt and snacks to foodservice outlets such as convenience stores and vending machines. Annual sales for the division exceed $1.7bn.