Mazola has a new British owner

SOLA, Sola No', as any Spanish speaker of a certain age will tell you, is the slogan that reassures Americans they are never alone when they cook with Mazola.

The 91-year-old brand of corn cooking oil that first alerted the health-conscious US to the dangers of unsaturated fats, cholesterol and heart disease has a new British owner.

When launched in 1911, Mazola employed an army of salesmen who travelled the country cooking French fries on portable cookers in grocery stores. Today's short-order cooks are more likely to spray the oil on their grills from an aerosol.

Mazola and another 18 North American food brands have been sold by Britain's Unilever to Associated British Foods for $360m (£248m).

The deal gives ABF a leading position supplying oil to the US catering industry following its purchase of Whirl and Frymax from Procter & Gamble last year.

The other brands sold include Kingsford's corn starches, Karo and Golden Griddle syrups and Henri's salad dressing. Between them they had sales of $301m in 2001. Unilever said the brands were not core in the US, where it is focusing on Lipton, Hellmann's, SlimFast and Ben & Jerry's.