Who owns Fresh Express?
Fresh Express is owned by Chiquita (Switzerland), which has owned the brand since 28 June 2005.[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: Chiquita — our company, Chiquita Brands International Sàrl (archived copy). Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Chiquita Brands International Sàrl reported
- Owned since
- Owner HQ
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland, Etoy
- Origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Founded
- 1926
- Category
- Food › Fresh produce › Fresh vegetables
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About Fresh Express
Fresh Express created the packaged salad category in American supermarkets, pioneering the modified-atmosphere bag that keeps cut lettuce edible for days. Chiquita acquired it in 2005 for about $855 million, and it is now a larger business than the company's bananas in the United States.
Ownership timeline of Fresh Express
Where Fresh Express sits in Chiquita
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Chiquita ownership tree →
See the full Chiquita brand portfolio (2) →
Other brands owned by Chiquita
Chiquita controls 2 brands on Brandtree, 2 of them in food.
Also in food
- Chiquita (1944)
Other brands in fresh vegetables, and who owns them
The 16 brands in fresh vegetables on Brandtree belong to 9 owners. The largest is Grimmway Produce Group, with 6.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Bunny-Luv | Grimmway Produce Group | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Backyard Farms | Mastronardi Produce | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| Eisberg | Bell Food Group | 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
| Jongga | Daesang | 🇰🇷 South Korea |
| Edible Garden | Edible Garden | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Mann Packing | Fresh Del Monte | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Local Bounti | Local Bounti | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Freshmark | Shoprite Group | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
About the owner: Chiquita
Chiquita is a privately held company headquartered in Etoy, Switzerland, founded in 1899. Brandtree records 2 brands under its control.
Chiquita descends from the United Fruit Company, whose political influence in Central America in the twentieth century gave rise to the term banana republic and to a long record of documented abuses. A Brazilian consortium of Cutrale and Safra acquired the company in 2015 and took it private.
🇺🇸 Fresh Express and other American brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 2,549 brands that began in the United States. 478 of them (19%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country, Fresh Express among them.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Fresh Express?
The parent company of Fresh Express is Chiquita, a privately held company headquartered in Switzerland.
Is Fresh Express American or Swiss?
Fresh Express originated in the United States in 1926, but it is owned today by Chiquita, which is headquartered in Switzerland. So Fresh Express is an American-origin brand under Swiss ownership.
Since when has Chiquita owned Fresh Express?
Chiquita has owned Fresh Express since 28 June 2005.
Is Fresh Express still owned by Chiquita?
Yes. As of 16 September 2026, Fresh Express is still owned by Chiquita. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Chiquita — our company — Chiquita Brands International Sàrl, Official document; retrieved 16 September 2026. The original address no longer opens it, so the link goes to an archived copy (original address).
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