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Warren Buffet Buys Heinz Ketchup for $23 Billion

Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Purchases Heinz in $23 Billion Deal

By , Farms.com

H.J. Heinz Co. says ketchup deal is the largest purchase that’s ever occurred in the food industry

In a surprise announcement on Thursday, billionaire investor Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway is set to buy Heinz ketchup in a $23.3 billion deal.

The Pittsburgh based company; Heinz in addition to its famous ketchup makes Classico spaghetti sauces, Ore-lda potatoes and Smart Ones frozen meals.

The company was founded by Henry John Heinz along with his neighbour L. Clarence Noble in 1869. Their first product was horseradish in a glass bottle. Their first ketchup wasn’t introduced until 1876.

It’s typical for Buffet to purchase entire companies and allow the businesses to continue operating very much the same as before. Heinz shareholders will get $72.50 cash for every share that they own. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2013.


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For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.