Conagra Ends Celeste Frozen Pizza Production After 89 Years

After nearly nine decades of culinary history, Celeste frozen pizza is being phased out of the American grocery market. Conagra Brands has stopped production of the longtime freezer staple as part of a broader effort to streamline its product portfolio and prioritize businesses with stronger profit potential, according to company statements reported by FOX Business and WMUR.

Shoppers may still find Celeste pizzas in grocery stores while existing inventory remains available. However, a Conagra spokesperson confirmed to FOX Business that the company will not manufacture additional products once its current stock has sold through.

Conagra disclosed the production decision during its fiscal first-quarter 2027 earnings remarks on Sept. 30. The departure reduced first-quarter net sales by approximately 15 basis points, but the company expects the move to improve profitability in subsequent periods.

Chief Executive Officer John Brase described Celeste as one of the smaller brands that no longer justified continued investment. He explained the company's approach to eliminating underperforming products during its earnings remarks.

"There are certain brands and categories where we simply just don't see a future," Brase said. "It just makes sense to exit those small, really unprofitable brands or low-profit brands as soon as possible."

The company also indicated that discontinuing Celeste is part of a wider portfolio review rather than an isolated decision. Conagra is examining opportunities to simplify its core product categories and reduce operational complexity.

Brase outlined the expected financial benefit of the decision, saying the exit would "be accretive to margins going forward."

He also described a broader restructuring effort involving the company's single-serving meal selection.

"I think the larger opportunity, though, is what I am really calling the simplification of our core platforms," Brase said.

Conagra's existing assortment includes more than 400 single-serve meal stock-keeping units, according to Brase, who believes the business could operate with a more streamlined selection.

"We have over 400 single-serve meal [stock-keeping units], and I believe there is a future where we can have a much simpler, more productive assortment," Brase said.

The company confirmed that production has ended while emphasizing that remaining products will continue to be sold until supplies run out.

"We will continue to sell inventory, but we stopped producing it. As of now, there will not be Celeste products once we sell what has been made," a Conagra spokesperson told FOX Business.

The announcement has prompted nostalgic reactions from consumers who associate the inexpensive personal pizzas with childhood meals and family memories. Comments shared on a food blogger's Instagram post recalled the brand's affordability and its place in household freezers.

One commenter remembered the product's low prices and its popularity during the 1990s.

"RIP Mama Celeste. You were a good one. Those 10 for $10 deals were the pinnacle of the 90s," the commenter wrote.

Other consumers connected the pizzas with relatives and family traditions, particularly memories of grandparents keeping them available at home.

"Omg my grandma always had one of these on hand so will forever remind me of her. I haven’t had one in years but the nostalgia!" another commenter wrote.

A separate consumer described an emotional response to the announcement, linking the food to a grandparent.

"My eyes welled up reading this. This pizza [reminds] me of my grandma," the commenter said.

Another user summed up the brand's personal significance in a brief recollection.

"This was my childhood pizza," the commenter wrote.

Celeste's history began in 1937, when Celeste "Mama" Lizio and her husband opened a restaurant in Chicago serving pasta. About 25 years later, the couple expanded into frozen pizzas and other foods for restaurant customers, according to WMUR.

Quaker Oats acquired the business in 1969, and Lizio continued serving as the brand's spokeswoman. The packaging featured her image alongside the Italian word "abbondanza," meaning abundance, according to the historical account reported by WMUR.

The brand became a leading seller during the 1970s and 1980s, building a national presence in frozen food aisles. Its remaining products will stay available only while existing inventory lasts, marking the end of new Celeste pizza production under Conagra Brands.