US-based MegaMex Foods and Mexico’s Herdez have entered a licensing agreement with UTZ Quality Foods.

UTZ has agreed to manufacture and distribute certain Herdez branded tortilla chips and pork rinds to retailers using its national distribution network.

MegaMex Foods, which is a joint venture (JV) between Hormel Foods and Herdez del Fuerte, offers a range of Mexican food brands across the US market, including retail, club, foodservice and convenience store channels.

In addition to Herdez, the company’s brand portfolio includes Chi-Chi’s, La Cictoria, Embasa, Don Miguel, Dona Maria and Wholly Guacamole.

MegaMex Foods president and CEO Ryan Michaelis said: “The vision of MegaMex Foods is to bring the spirit of Mexico to every table.

“Our licensing agreement with UTZ Quality Foods will create unique and authentic Herdez branded snack foods available to US consumers, this is yet another step forward in making this vision a reality.”

The partnership between MegaMex Foods and UTZ will see the introduction of new Hispanic snack brands into the US market.

Under the new agreement, UTZ will distribute Herdez’s regular, chilli lime, and hot & spicy pork rinds, as well as new and improved Herdez’s white, yellow and blue corn tortilla chips.

Last year, MegaMex Foods and UTZ entered a master distributor agreement for the distribution of Chi-Chi’s tortilla chips, as well as Chi-Chi’s and Herdez salsas and dips across UTZ’s geographical markets.

Established in 1921, UTZ Quality Foods is a salty snack company that produces a range of products, including potato chips, pretzels, cheese snacks, corn chips, tortillas, veggie stix/straws, popcorn, onion rings and pork skins.

Its brand portfolio includes UTZ, Golden Flake, Zapp’s, Dirty Potato Chips, Good Health, Bachman, Wachusett, Snikiddy and Boulder Canyon, which are distributed in local and international markets.