Smithfield Foods completes RMH Foods sellout

Smithfield Foods, the world's largest hog producer and pork processor, has completed the sale of substantially all of the assets of RMH Foods to a group of investors.

The announcement comes shortly after Smithfield had sold Maverick Food Company Limited, its Chinese joint venture, to COFCO, China's largest national agricultural trading and processing company.

"The sale of these assets demonstrates our continuing commitment to shed non-core businesses with a greater focus on efficiencies and return on invested capital," said C. Larry Pope, Smithfield Foods president and CEO.

Illinois-based RMH Foods produces fully-cooked beef, pork, and chicken entrees to retail customers, as well as the deli and foodservice channels. Smithfield had owned the company since 2001.

The company was founded in 1937 by the Jesse Rocke family as a local custom processor. Nowadays, the company makes cooked refrigerated entrees for retail sale.