Conagra Ends Celeste Frozen Pizza Production in 2026

After nearly six decades as a familiar name in grocery store freezer aisles, Celeste frozen pizza is being phased out by Conagra Brands. The company stopped production as part of a portfolio restructuring strategy announced September 30, 2026, and shoppers can still purchase existing inventory at retailers until supplies run out, with products expected to disappear completely by early 2027.

Conagra confirmed the production halt on October 9, according to USA TODAY and TODAY.com. The company will continue selling its remaining stock, but retailers will not receive new shipments once existing supplies are exhausted.

Celeste products have been sold through retailers including Walmart, Kroger, Harris Teeter and Dollar Tree, according to USA TODAY. The decision reflects Conagra's effort to reduce costs and redirect resources toward brands with stronger growth prospects and better profitability.

During the company's first-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings call on September 30, CEO John Brase identified the frozen pizza business as one of the smaller operations Conagra plans to exit.

"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."

Brase described the withdrawal as part of a broader effort to simplify the company's portfolio, establish clearer ownership and speed up decision-making. Conagra expects the financial benefits of its restructuring measures to accumulate over time.

"One early example is our decision to exit the Celeste frozen pizza business," Brase said. "It allows us to redirect our resources toward brands and categories where we have greater scale and stronger growth potential."

He also outlined the expected timeline for the company's broader cost-saving efforts during the earnings call.

"The benefits will build over time, with a majority expected to be realized over the next 12 to 18 months," Brase said.

A Conagra representative told TODAY.com that production had already ended under the company's product portfolio rationalization process. The representative explained that the decision had been discussed during the earnings call.

"We stopped producing Celeste as part of our SKU rationalization process," a Conagra representative told TODAY.com.

The representative also referred to the company's earlier announcement.

"We mentioned it during our earnings call last week," the representative said.

Celeste pizza traces its origins to Chicago, where Celeste Lizzio and her husband, Anthony, developed their food business after arriving in the United States from Italy in the 1930s. Their restaurant, opened in 1937, became known for her cooking, eventually creating demand for the couple's pizzas beyond their own establishment.

The family expanded into wholesale sales to restaurants and grocery stores. The couple closed their restaurant in 1962 to concentrate on that business, and the Quaker Oats Company acquired the pizza brand in 1969. Celeste became one of the leading frozen pizza brands during the 1970s, with Lizzio appearing prominently in television advertising.

Conagra acquired the brand in 2018 as its sales declined. Lizzio died of a heart condition in 1988 at age 80, according to Reference.org, leaving behind a product associated with generations of American consumers.

The discontinuation has prompted nostalgic reactions from former customers on social media. Some recalled relying on the inexpensive frozen pizzas during difficult financial periods, while others expressed disappointment that the product would no longer be available.

"I lived on these for months at a time when I was broke," Reddit user Ian Kellogg wrote, according to USA TODAY. "They kept me alive at a rough time in my life. I haven't had one in years, but I will miss them all the same."

Another commenter in the Reddit discussion praised the online response to the brand's departure.

"i love how this sub is mourning celeste, we know when to give credit when it’s due," the commenter wrote. "we know pizza."

Although Conagra has ended manufacturing, Celeste pizzas remain available while retailers sell through their existing inventory. Once those supplies are depleted, the company will no longer replenish the product.