Ragu, the popular pasta sauce brand owned by Mizkan America, Inc., recently announced that they will be discontinuing their Ragu Old World Style pasta sauces. This includes their traditional Old World Style Tomato & Basil, Old World Style Marinara, Old World Style Tomato, Meat & Onion, and Old World Style Tomato, Garlic & Onion varieties. The announcement came as a shock to many home cooks who grew up using Ragu sauces for generations. In this article, we’ll explore the reasons behind Ragu’s decision and what it means for pasta lovers going forward.
Declining Sales
According to a statement from Mizkan America, declining sales was one of the driving factors behind the decision to discontinue the Ragu Old World Style line. Over the past decade, the popularity of Ragu’s thicker, richer pasta sauces has slowly declined as consumer preferences have shifted towards more natural, simpler ingredients. Sales data provided by Mizkan America showed a consistent year-over-year decline in revenue from the Old World Style sauces. In today’s marketplace, tomato and basil is no longer enough to excite modern palates. Clean labels and unique flavor combinations have pushed Ragu’s traditional sauces out of favor with consumers. Faced with steadily dropping sales numbers, Mizkan made the difficult choice to discontinue the full line of Old World Style pasta sauces rather than try to revive lagging interest.
Competition from Smaller Brands
Over the past ten years there has been an explosion of smaller, indie pasta sauce brands focusing on high quality, unique ingredients. These upstart brands have captured the attention of Millennial and Gen Z consumers who increasingly scrutinize food labels and demand gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO products. Brands like Rao’s, Victoria Fine Foods, and Rana have carved out a niche with sauces featuring real vegetables, imported ingredients, and reduced sugar. With Ragu’s basic Old World Style sauces suffering from a tired, overly mass market image, these brands have steadily chipped away at Ragu’s dominance. Faced with stiffer competition, the struggling Ragu line was retired to make room for new products that better align with what today’s choosy pasta sauce shoppers want.
Push Towards More Premium Brands
In their statement announcing the decision, Mizkan America noted they will be focusing efforts on their premium line of Ragu sauces going forward. This includes the fresh refrigerated Ragu Homestyle and Chunky brands which promise higher quality, more natural ingredients. Retiring the classic Old World Style line paves the way for further investment in premium sauce varieties that offer the quality and flavor consumers expect in 2023. For families looking for that classic Ragu taste, Mizkan is pointing them towards their Homestyle and Chunky refrigerated options. However, some Ragu devotees complain these pricier sauces don’t offer the same nostalgic flavor they’ve come to expect. Only time will tell if retiring an American pantry staple for more gourmet offerings pays off in the long run for Mizkan.
Ragu Old World Style Discontinued Varieties
| Sauce | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato & Basil | 24 oz | Ragu’s classic tomato sauce flavored with basil and garlic |
| Marinara | 24 oz | Traditional marinara sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, onions, and herbs |
| Tomato, Meat & Onion | 26 oz | Hearty tomato sauce with beef, pork, onions, and garlic |
| Tomato, Garlic & Onion | 45 oz | Robust tomato sauce with garlic, onions, and Italian herbs |
| Tomato & Basil | 66 oz | Family size option of Ragu’s original tomato & basil sauce |
What Pasta Sauces Can Fans Expect Going Forward?
While the Old World Style line is being retired, Mizkan America has promised that some fan favorite Ragu flavors aren’t going anywhere. Their traditional Spaghetti Sauce and Tomato & Meat Sauce varieties will remain on shelves. These sauces are considered essential pantry staples by families who’ve eaten them for generations. Mizkan understands the nostalgia people feel towards certain beloved flavors and plans to continue offering these classics. They are also exploring options to bring back some Old World Style varieties under a new brand name after gauging public response to the discontinuation.
In their press release, Mizkan stated they will continue leveraging the Ragu brand to develop new and exciting products that meet changing consumer tastes. Fans can expect more premium ready-to-serve sauces, a wider variety of global flavors, and veggie-forward options. Mizkan hopes their investments in new product research and development will pay off and revive interest in the century old Ragu brand. As the category leader in pasta sauce, they are betting on their deep experience to craft sauces that resonate with the needs of today’s shoppers while honoring their Italian heritage.
Potential Future Ragu Sauce Varieties
| Type | Potential Flavors |
|---|---|
| Gourmet ready-to-serve | Organic marinara, wild mushroom white wine, rustic sausage & pepper |
| Global influences | Thai red curry, Mexican adobo chipotle, Indian tikka masala |
| Plant-based | Tomato basil marinara, creamy cashew alfredo, spicy arrabiata |
| Seasonal | Pumpkin maple bacon, candy cane pesto, strawberry balsamic |
How Consumers Can Voice Their Opinions
Ragu has been a pantry staple brand for so many families, so it’s understandable that many are disappointed by the discontinuation of the Old World Style line. However, consumers wanting their opinions heard still have options. Mizkan America has left the door open to possibly bringing back retired flavors under a new brand based on consumer demand. Fans hoping for the return of a specific sauce can write to:
Ragu Consumer Relations
PO Box 548, Hanover, PA 17331
Consumers can also contact Ragu Consumer Relations by phone at 1-800-328-7248. The brand is active on social media, so sharing feedback on their Facebook and Instagram pages is another way to make voices heard. Mizkan seems open to discussion about possibly reviving retired varieties. The key will be demonstrating sustained excitement and sales potential versus a short-lived backlash to discontinued products.
Why Were Some Ragu Varieties Continued?
In explaining the decision to discontinue the Ragu Old World Style line, Mizkan specified they wanted to direct resources towards more premium sauce offerings. However, they consciously chose to keep some longstanding Ragu varieties on shelves despite not fitting this new gourmet positioning. Why did classics like Ragu’s traditional Spaghetti Sauce survive the chopping block?
There are likely a few reasons core varieties like Spaghetti Sauce remain in the Ragu lineup:
- They are considered iconic, nostalgic flavors to generations of consumers. Spaghetti Sauce has seen decades of popular use in family kitchens.
- These sauce varieties continue selling well compared to the lagging Old World Style line.
- Mizkan wants to retain a sense of the brand’s heritage along with new gourmet products.
- Making more dramatic cuts could backfire by alienating Ragu’s established consumer base.
While reinventing their brand image, Mizkan seems to have chosen key products that balance this evolution while respecting Ragu’s longstanding reputation with American families. Keeping traditional fan favorites helps smooth the transition towards more upscale offerings.
How Chefs Are Reacting
For home cooks, Ragu’s Old World Style sauces offered familiar, beloved Italian flavors on busy weeknights. But how are professional chefs reacting to the news these traditional sauces are being retired? Here are some reactions from restaurant culinarians:
“This is an end of an era. As chefs, we don’t use Ragu in restaurants, but the Old World Style sauces were part of most cooks’ upbringing. They offer nostalgia for the homey, comforting dishes we grew up with as kids and still love to eat. I wish they would bring back staples like the Tomato & Basil and Marinara.” – Giada Russo, head chef of Bella Maggiore in Brooklyn, NY
“To be honest, chefs are not up in arms over Ragu discontinuing these sauces. They appeal to home cooks through familiarity and tradition, but most chef-made sauces rely on fresh ingredients and innovative global flavors. For restaurants, change in the pasta sauce category represents an opportunity to introduce patrons to new, exciting flavors they can’t easily make at home.” – Miles Okada, executive chef at Osteria Al Mare in Chicago, IL
“I understand why Ragu is evolving to meet changing consumer tastes and the emphasis on clean, high quality ingredients. But for a lot of us who grew up cooking Italian comfort food at home, these sauces represent happy family memories. They’re designed for ease rather than authenticity, but I wish a brand as storied as Ragu would preserve some of their classics alongside new flavors.” – Gabriella Ferraro, chef/owner of La Strada in Nashville, TN
Among professionals, responses seem mixed regarding Ragu’s decision to modernize their lineup. Some chefs feel iconic flavors like Tomato Basil should survive out of nostalgia and tradition. Others see the change as an opportunity for bolder restaurant-made sauces and welcome the evolution towards more natural, innovative tastes.
Does This Signal a Larger Shift in the Category?
Ragu discontinuing their Old World Style line raises larger questions about the future of the mainstream shelf-stable pasta sauce category overall. For decades, sauces from brands like Ragu, Prego, and Hunt’s anchored family pasta nights with familiar tomato-based options. But the category faces rising pressure from new directions:
- Premium ready-to-serve – Brands like Rao’s, Victoria, and Buitoni offer restaurant-quality flavors at higher price points.
- Gourmet specialty – Smaller indie labels focus on unique flavor profiles with trendy ingredients and positioning.
- Fresh homemade – Meal kits and online influencers push convenient homemade and all-natural sauce options.
Ragu retiring part of their core shelf-stable line reflects these shifting dynamics. Their decision can be seen as a trial balloon for more mass market brands determining how to evolve while retaining relevance. It’s unlikely Ragu’s move will single-handedly disrupt the wider category. But for middle-America brands facing modern eating trends and pickier palates, reinvention feels increasingly necessary for survival.
The Bottom Line for Consumers
For home cooks who grew up loving Ragu’s Old World Style sauces, the brand’s decision to discontinue them feels like the end of an era. There’s a nostalgia and familiarity tied to sauces many families have used for generations. But the wider category is evolving, and Ragu aims to keep pace by shifting focus towards more premium, innovative flavors.
It remains to be seen whether their bet pays off by reinvigorating interest in the brand. In the meantime, consumers still have plenty of shelf-stable pasta sauce options from Ragu and other trusted brands. And voices of protest may still have power to revive discontinued flavors or inspire rebranding. While change can be hard, pasta night will go on thanks to the many sauces continuing to inspire home cooks to share a comforting, flavorful meal.