Del Monte Foods Inc

Del Monte Foods Co. said it will buy the Contadina brand of canned tomato products and some related operations from Nestle's U.S. unit, doubling annual sales of its canned tomato brands to $400 million. Terms weren't disclosed. San Francisco-based Del Monte Foods, which is owned by Texas Pacific Group, will receive Contadina's pizza sauce and bread crumbs business as part of the purchase, as well as two tomato processing factories in Woodland and Hanford, Calif.

Even youngsters with a sweet tooth seem to like fruits--provided there's a twist. Consumer research by Del Monte Foods Inc. has concluded that children most often prefer yogurt in four flavors: strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and peach. The research shows they like yogurt that is pre-stirred with a creamy texture.

* Strouds Inc., a specialty home textiles and furnishings retailer based in Industry, has promoted controller Gary Van Wagner to chief financial officer. "Gary's background and extensive knowledge of Strouds' operations and functional structure made him an ideal candidate," said Robert Menar, chief operating officer of Strouds, which operates 65 stores in five states. * El Segundo-based Computer Sciences Corp. has named Carol Bothwell as chief knowledge officer.

E. Waldo Ward & Son is an unexpected world of gourmet smells. Cloves, cinnamon and ginger scents rose from an antiquated electric grinder where Jeffrey Ward, 24, worked on a recent morning in Sierra Madre. In two stainless-steel kettles, sliced circles of onions topped a steaming meat sauce made from a family recipe. Next to another 100-gallon kettle, Jeffrey's father, Richard, 55, stirred a long spatula in a stewing batch of Oregon red raspberries.

E. Waldo Ward & Son is an unexpected world of gourmet smells. Cloves, cinnamon and ginger scents rose from an antiquated electric grinder where Jeffrey Ward, 24, worked on a recent morning in Sierra Madre. In two stainless-steel kettles, sliced circles of onions topped a steaming meat sauce made from a family recipe. Next to another 100-gallon kettle, Jeffrey's father, Richard, 55, used a long spatula to stir a stewing batch of Oregon red raspberries.

E. Waldo Ward & Son is an unexpected world of gourmet smells. Cloves, cinnamon and ginger scents rose from an antiquated electric grinder where Jeffrey Ward, 24, worked on a recent morning in Sierra Madre. In two stainless-steel kettles, sliced circles of onions topped a steaming meat sauce made from a family recipe. Next to another 100-gallon kettle, Jeffrey's father, Richard, 55, stirred a long spatula in a stewing batch of Oregon red raspberries.