McCormick and Co., the Sparks-based spice and flavorings giant, announced late Tuesday that it will acquire the maker of Frank’s RedHot Hot Sauce, French’s Mustard and other leading brands in a $4.2 billion deal.

The deal to acquire the food business of British-based Reckitt Benckiser Group would position the McCormick as a leading maker of condiments in the United States, the company said. The French’s and Frank’s RedHot brands would join McCormick’s top brands, the company said.

The deal would make McCormick a “one-stop shop” for condiments, spices and seasonings, said Lawrence E. Kurzius, McCormick’s chairman, president and CEO, in a statement. The brands being acquired also include the Cattlemen’s line of BBQ sauces.

“The acquisition of RB Foods strengthens McCormick’s flavor leadership with the addition of the iconic French’s and Frank’s RedHot brands to our portfolio, which will become our number two and number three brands, respectively,” Kurzius said.

“RB Foods’ focus on creating products with simple, high-quality ingredients makes it a perfect match for McCormick as we continue to capitalize on the growing consumer interest in healthy, flavorful eating.”

The new brands would drive the company’s net sales to $5 billion a year, it said

Reckitt Benckiser, a consumer conglomerate that also makes products such as Veet hair remover, Air Wick air fresheners, Lysol cleaner and Durex condoms, inked a $17.9 billion deal in February to buy baby-food maker Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.

The company said in April that it had started a “strategic review” of its non-core food business, as it hoped to bolster sales growth in the wake of a damaging boycott in South Korea and the failure of its latest Scholl footcare innovation, according to a report on the deal in the Financial Times.

The company said in April that its foods business is “nevertheless non-core to RB,” the Financial Times reported.

The Financial Times reported the deal late Tuesday before it was announced by McCormick.

McCormick has been on a buying spree the last few years, making five acquisitions including Gourmet Garden, an Australian maker of packaged herbs acquired in April, and Cajun Injector, a maker of injectable marinades and seasonings. It closed a deal to buy the maker of Stubb's barbecue sauces for $100 million in 2015.

It attempted to buy the British food company Premier Foods plc rejected McCormick & Co.'s $700 million takeover bi

This deal would be its largest by far.

McCormick said it would host a conference call with investors on the Reckitt Benckiser deal on Wednesday morning.

McCormick said the deal with add to its debt, but said it expected the brands to grow considerably with the help of the infrastructure McCormick has across the world to support its brands.

The company predicted strong growth for Frank’s RedHot, which it said was popular with millennials.

“McCormick will be able to grow these brands in new and unique ways through our proven track record of insight-driven innovation and the ability to leverage our global footprint,” Kurzius said.

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