11 Other Food Brands Tyson Owns

While you're probably familiar with the gigantic Tyson brand, famous for frozen chicken products, you may be surprised to learn that the Tyson Foods umbrella consists of more than 30 individual food brands. The vast majority of Tyson's brands are heavily meat-centric, which makes sense, but a couple of brands either have no meat at all or incorporate a few elements other than meat. A common factor with most of the Tyson-owned brands is providing protein at an affordable price point or approachable method, as many of the products are frozen or ready to eat with minimal preparation. 

There are many more than these 11 featured brands below that Tyson owns that specialize in foodservice supply, so chances are, even if you don't buy any of the brands on this list below, you might be eating a Tyson product when you're dining out, like at fried chicken palace Popeyes. Tyson Foods' footprint is so large that it feels almost impossible to avoid at the grocery store, and once you're familiar with the brand's other offerings, you'll probably begin to recognize them out in the wild.

Founded in 1969 by country singer and actor Jimmy Dean, the company began with making sausage but has expanded well beyond that, making products that are mostly breakfast-focused, as Jimmy Dean himself was a huge breakfast lover. Products include many breakfast meats like bacon and fully cooked sausages, along with frozen specialties like pancakes on a stick and breakfast sandwiches. Tyson acquired the Jimmy Dean brand in a 2014 merger.

Hillshire Farm's focus is on fully cooked meats in many shapes, styles, and sizes, although it does produce a few raw sausages. The business began in 1935 with an Austrian butcher living in Wisconsin. From smoked cocktail sausages to sliced deli meats to hot dogs to massive kielbasa, it's no surprise that Tyson was keen to acquire the Hillshire Farm brand in the same 2014 merger. 

With its distinctive retro lettering, Ball Park's beef franks are easy to spot in the supermarket refrigerator and are one of America's most popular hot dog brands. Ball Park specializes in what you need for outdoor grilling, specifically hot dogs, with varieties like prime or angus beef, regular and classic beef, and turkey. To complement its grilling selection, Ball Park also sells frozen, fully cooked burger patties. 

Aidells' packaging features distinct, white lettering on a red background below a friendly-looking chef in a cap, an illustrated portrait of the founder, Chef Aidells, who introduced the brand's beloved chicken and apple sausage in 1983. Best known for its wide assortment of excitingly flavored smoked chicken sausages like pineapple and bacon, the brand also makes meatballs and breakfast sausages.  

Gallo specializes in a small selection of cured meats, specifically Italian dry salame and pepperoni. Most of its product selection consists of sliced salame and pepperoni, but it does offer a whole chub of Italian dry salame as well for those who prefer to slice it themselves. Gallo ages its cured meats for several weeks, and its salame is made from pork, while the pepperoni is made from pork and beef.

In a break from meat production, Tyson-owned Tortillas Land makes flour tortillas that are made with only five ingredients and are sold not fully cooked so that you can cook them as needed at home. A refrigerated product, the tortillas only need to be cooked on the stovetop on each side for about a minute total, making them fresh and ready for use.

Hillshire Snacking's product list consists of "small plates" and "bistro bites," which are both essentially Lunchables for adults. The small plates snack boxes feature a variety of different salamis paired with cheeses and small rounds of toast, while the bistro bites boxes are a bit fancier, pairing various meats and cheeses with different types of nuts instead of just toast rounds. 

Another fully meat-centered brand owned by Tyson is Wright Brand, which focuses on smoked meats, like bacon, sausages, and hams. You're likely to find the larger bone-in and boneless smoked ham and turkey breasts behind the deli counter at a supermarket, while the bacon and sausages will likely be nearby in another refrigerated section.

Listed right in the name, Star Angus Ranch focuses on only 100% Angus USDA Choice beef. Its products are pre-packaged portions of beef, ready to be plucked from the refrigerated meat section and brought home to cook. It offers a wide range of fancier Angus beef cuts like filet mignon and ribeye steaks, as well as less expensive cuts like flank steak and stew meat. 

Fast Fixin' is another freezer-section brand in the Tyson meat empire, consisting of frozen steak and chicken main dishes like country-fried steaks with gravy, popcorn chicken, and chicken nuggets. Fast Fixin's focus is in its name, as the company strives to make products that are quick and easy to prepare for you and your family. 

A frozen counterpart to Tyson's Star Angus Ranch brand, Steak Eze's products consist of various types of frozen raw beef designed to be easy and quick to prepare. The steak strips are meant to be used in tacos, stir fries, salads, or even cheesesteak sandwiches, as you can break the frozen meat apart as it cooks to suit your needs. Steak Eze is also a popular brand used in restaurant service.