The Company Behind Hungry Jack's Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are widely considered a warm, comforting, versatile dish. They work well as a side, but can also be turned into soups or casseroles. Given their popularity, there's a wealth of expert tips on how to make the best mashed potatoes. For those who want a side of mashed potatoes without all the peeling and boiling, brands like Hungry Jack Potatoes have produced instant alternatives. Like other well-known products, Hungry Jack is a subsidiary of another company, in this case Basic American Foods (BAF). This is common in the food industry — for example, The Campbell's Company owns two major pasta sauces.
What may come as a surprise to many consumers is that BAF is not the original owner of Hungry Jack. Over the years, the brand has changed hands multiple times, becoming part of several diverse product portfolios. Understanding the history behind Hungry Jack sheds light on how some of the foods we take for granted have traveled through complex corporate landscapes before landing in our kitchens.
How Basic American Foods became the parent company of Hungry Jack
Previously, Hungry Jack Potatoes was owned by the J.M. Smucker Company, putting it in the same family of brands as Smucker's fruit spread, JIF Peanut Butter, and Pup-Peroni. As incredible as it may seem that an instant potato brand could be connected to jams and peanut butter, Smucker's was not the first to own Hungry Jack. Before acquiring the brand 2004, Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes was under the International Multifoods Corporation portfolio, alongside brands like Pillsbury, famous for its premade dough products and popular cake frosting.
In 2010, Smucker's sold Hungry Jack Potatoes to BAF. Although BAF is a major player in the food industry, it tends to keep a low profile regarding its brand family and company history. Today, BAF owns Hungry Jack, along with its former Smucker sister brand Idaho Spuds, as well as Nature's Own Instant Potato Pearls, Santiago black beans and Quick-Start chili, and Golden Grill premium hash browns. Hungry Jack remains a familiar name, though its instant mashed potatoes have become harder to find and are often available only in limited quantities through third-party retailers like Walmart.