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Van Camp's is an American brand of canned bean products currently owned by
ConAgra Foods Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods) is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, ...
, Inc. Their products typically consist of beans stewed in a flavored sauce.


Founding

The brand traces its roots back to
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
, where in 1861 Gilbert Van Camp and associates
Calvin Fletcher Calvin Fletcher (February 4, 1798 – May 26, 1866) was an American attorney who became a prominent banker, farmer and state senator in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1821 Fletcher moved from Vermont via Ohio to the new settlement of Indianapolis, wh ...
and Martin Williams constructed what became the nation's first successful commercial cold storage warehouse. Primarily concerned with the preservation of fruits and vegetables, Van Camp quickly began experimenting with canning. By 1862 he had started to can fruits and vegetables in the summertime for winter consumption. Shortly thereafter, Van Camp secured a lucrative contract to supply Union troops during the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. Van Camp's pork and beans quickly became a wartime staple. Following the war, demand for canned food soared as returning veterans were eager to purchase the food that they had become familiar with. In 1882 the Van Camp Packing Company was founded. They started selling catsup in 1888. In 1894, his son Frank Van Camp first produced the now-famous recipe for pork and beans in tomato sauce. By 1898 the Van Camp Packing Company had increased annual production to six million cans. By 1909 Indiana, bolstered by the Van Camp family's company, became the nation's leading producer of canned baked beans. Frank Van Camp went on to found Van Camp Seafood.


Company history

The firm is considered to have been a trendsetter in the canned-foods industry. In 1933, it was acquired by James and John Stokely, who operated the Stokely canned
tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...
company in
Newport, Tennessee Newport is a city in and the county seat of Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,945 at the 2010 census, down from 7,242 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2018 was 6,801. Newport is located along the Pige ...
, forming Stokely-Van Camp, Inc. The resultant combined company headquartered in Indianapolis. In the 1940s, the company built two warehouses in Bellingham, Washington. By the 1970s, Stokely-Van Camp agreed to produce, market and distribute a new beverage called
Gatorade Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. The drink is owned and manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was develope ...
. This product was the first
sports drink Sports drinks, also known as electrolyte drinks, are non-caffeinated functional beverages whose stated purpose is to help athletes replace water, electrolytes, and energy before, during and (especially) after training or competition. The eviden ...
, and would eventually generate more in sales than the rest of SVC's other products combined.
The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis
' at
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Sale and brand history

In 1983, the brand passed to the
Quaker Oats Company The Quaker Oats Company, known as Quaker, is an American food Conglomerate (company), conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois. As Quaker Mill Company, the company was founded in 1877 in Ravenna, Ohio. In 1881, Henry Crowell bought the company and ...
when it purchased Stokely-Van Camp. Quaker Oats sold Van Camp's to
ConAgra Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods) is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, ...
in 1995. Stokely was sold to
Seneca Foods Seneca Foods Corporation is an American food processor and distributor headquartered in Fairport, New York, United States. Seneca Foods Corporation conducts its business almost entirely in food packaging, which contributed to about 98% of the co ...
in 1985 and currently produces canned beans and other canned vegetables. Over the years, a number of foods have been sold under the Van Camp's name, including its popular Tenderoni pasta product. As of 2005 it only sells canned cooked beans, including
pork and beans Pork and beans is a culinary dish that uses pork and beans as its main ingredients. Numerous variations exist, usually with more specific names, such as '' fabada asturiana'', '' olla podrida'', or American canned pork and beans. American can ...
,
baked beans Baked beans is a Dish (food), dish traditionally containing white Phaseolus vulgaris, common beans that are parboiling, parboiled and then baking, baked in sauce at low temperature for a lengthy period. Canned baked beans are not baked, but ar ...
,
kidney beans The kidney bean is a variety of the common bean (''Phaseolus vulgaris'') named for its resemblance to a human kidney. Classification There are different classifications of kidney beans, such as: *Red kidney bean (also known as common kidney b ...
, a
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
variant of its pork and bean recipe, Chili and ''" Beanee Weenee"''—a mixture of beans with slices of frankfurter made of beef and chicken in tomato sauce.


See also

* Gilbert Van Camp * Tenderoni * Stokely-Van Camp Industrial Complex


References


External links

* {{ConAgra Conagra Brands brands 1861 introductions Indiana in the American Civil War Baked beans