Sabra

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Sabra is an American food brand specializing in refrigerated hummus, guacamole, and other dips and spreads.

Last updated November 4, 2026

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First read: Nov 4, 2026
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Overview

Sabra is an American food brand specializing in refrigerated hummus, guacamole, and other dips and spreads. The business traces its origins to 1986, when Zohar Norman and Yehuda Pearl founded Sabra-Blue & White Foods in Queens, New York. The company helped introduce hummus to a broad North American supermarket audience by presenting it not only as a traditional Middle Eastern food, but also as a convenient, everyday snack, sandwich spread, party food, and plant-based alternative. Sabra’s core product is hummus, generally made from chickpeas, tahini, garlic, oil, and seasonings. Its portfolio has expanded to include classic and flavored hummus varieties, guacamole, snack packs, single-serve portions, and selected adjacent dips. The brand’s product range has included roasted red pepper, roasted garlic, roasted pine nut, spicy, caramelized onion, lemon, olive tapenade, spinach and artichoke, chimichurri, and falafel-style hummus. Guacamole products include classic, spicy, lime, and other flavored versions. Sabra also sells portable snack combinations pairing dips with pretzels or tortilla chips, as well as breakfast-oriented products such as avocado toast trays. The business changed ownership several times during its development. Strauss Group acquired Sabra in 2005. In March 2008, Strauss and Frito-Lay, a PepsiCo division, formed a 50/50 joint venture to operate Sabra in the United States and Canada. The partnership combined Strauss’s experience in fresh dips and Mediterranean foods with PepsiCo’s manufacturing, distribution, retail, and marketing infrastructure. Sabra subsequently invested in production capacity, including a large facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia, announced in 2008 and brought into operation around 2010. The company also developed a research and development presence in Virginia and expanded its manufacturing capabilities as demand for refrigerated dips grew. Sabra’s growth was driven by category creation as much as by product sales. Its advertising and experiential marketing positioned hummus as accessible, social, flavorful, and compatible with American eating habits. National advertising began in 2009, while public installations, sampling programs, city events, and Mediterranean-themed activations helped make hummus more familiar to consumers. The brand later promoted hummus as part of a broader cultural movement involving sharing, discovery, plant-based eating, and convenient better-for-you snacking. Sabra’s commercial success helped make hummus a mainstream refrigerated grocery category in the United States. The company has emphasized kosher, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and dairy-free attributes on relevant products. Sabra states that its hummus is produced in Chesterfield County, Virginia, using chickpeas sourced from family farms in the Pacific Northwest, while its guacamole is made in Mexico with Hass avocados. Products are distributed through supermarkets, club stores, specialty retailers, food-service channels, and convenience-oriented formats in the United States and Canada. Sabra has also faced operational and reputational challenges. It conducted major recalls in 2015 and 2016 after Listeria concerns connected with finished product or the manufacturing environment, and it recalled approximately 2,100 cases of a single Classic Hummus SKU in 2021 because of possible Salmonella contamination identified during routine FDA screening. The brand has additionally been targeted by boycott campaigns connected with Strauss Group’s historical association with donations to an Israel Defense Forces brigade. These campaigns generated debate at universities and among activist groups, although the company’s products remained widely distributed. In November 2024, PepsiCo announced an agreement to acquire Strauss Group’s remaining 50 percent interest in Sabra. The transaction closed on December 3, 2024, making Sabra a wholly owned PepsiCo subsidiary. Sabra continues to operate as a distinc…

History

Sabra began in 1986 as Sabra-Blue & White Foods, founded by Zohar Norman and Yehuda Pearl in Queens, New York. The founders built the company around prepared Mediterranean-style foods at a time when hummus was still a specialized product for many American shoppers. Sabra’s early significance lay in adapting a traditional food into a refrigerated packaged format that could be distributed through mainstream grocery channels. During its early years, Sabra competed in a fragmented market of regional producers and specialty food companies. The business explored expansion through acquisition, including negotiations to purchase Basha hummus, then a leading Detroit brand. That transaction did not close. In 2005, Israeli food manufacturer Strauss acquired Sabra, giving the company access to a larger food-industry owner with experience in salads, dips, and Mediterranean products. A decisive turning point came in March 2008, when Strauss formed a 50/50 North American joint venture with Frito-Lay, a PepsiCo division. The arrangement brought together Strauss’s product and category knowledge with PepsiCo’s distribution, retail relationships, marketing capabilities, and operating scale. The joint venture focused on manufacturing, distributing, and selling Sabra products in the United States and Canada. PepsiCo’s involvement accelerated the brand’s ability to reach national retailers and made Sabra one of the principal companies shaping the American hummus category. In late 2008, Sabra announced plans for a new manufacturing plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The facility was designed to support rising demand and was expected to create hundreds of jobs. The company reported rapid growth between 2008 and 2009, as hummus moved from a niche or ethnic-food purchase toward a mainstream refrigerated snack and meal accompaniment. Sabra’s manufacturing presence in Virginia later expanded, including research, development, and production capabilities. Marketing played an important role in the company’s growth. Before the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Sabra commissioned hummus sculptures depicting John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. In March 2009, it launched its first U.S. national advertising campaign through StrawberryFrog. Later in 2009, Sabra created temporary Mediterranean-themed village experiences in major American cities, combining sampling, food education, and lifestyle marketing. These programs helped frame hummus as social, flavorful, contemporary, and suitable for everyday American occasions rather than as a narrowly regional specialty. The brand continued to broaden its portfolio beyond classic hummus. It introduced flavored hummus, guacamole, salsa, Greek-yogurt-based dips, snack kits, and single-serve packaging. Product development increasingly emphasized plant-based eating, convenience, portion control, and flavor experimentation. Sabra’s refrigerated distribution model allowed it to compete in several adjacent occasions, including lunch, entertaining, snacking, breakfast, and food service. Growth also produced supply-chain and quality-control challenges. In April 2015, Sabra recalled roughly 30,000 cases of Classic Hummus after a retail sample in Michigan tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. In November 2016, the company conducted another voluntary recall of multiple hummus varieties after Listeria was identified in the manufacturing environment, although Sabra stated that the organism had not been detected in the affected finished products. In March 2021, approximately 2,100 cases of a single Classic Hummus SKU were recalled because routine FDA screening identified possible Salmonella contamination. A subsequent FDA warning letter described sanitation and preventive-control deficiencies at the Virginia facility. These events became part of the brand’s food-safety history and required corrective attention from the company and regulators. Sabra also became associated with political and social controversy because of Strauss Group’s historical statements about donating food packages to an Israel Defense Forces brigade. Activists affiliated with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement called for boycotts of Sabra products. Student groups at several universities attempted to replace Sabra with other brands, and a Dickinson College student senate resolution in 2019 endorsed a ban, although administrators indicated that institutional policy might prevent implementation. The boycott activity did not end Sabra’s broad retail availability, but it influenced public discussion of the brand and its ownership. Leadership changed several times during the company’s expansion. Tomer Harpaz became CEO in 2018, followed by Joey Bergstein in 2021. Bergstein brought experience from Seventh Generation and other consumer-goods businesses, with a mandate to develop Sabra as a plant-based and sustainability-oriented food brand. In November 2024, PepsiCo announced that it would acquire Strauss Group’s remaining 50 percent interest in Sabra. The purchase closed on December 3, 2024, for total cash consideration of $241 million, according to PepsiCo’s 2024 annual report. Sabra consequently became a wholly owned PepsiCo subsidiary. The brand continues to operate under the Sabra name, focused principally on refrigerated hummus, guacamole, snack products, and other dips in the United States and Canada.

2024
PepsiCo becomes sole owner
[4]PepsiCo to Acquire Full Ownership of Sabra and Obelapepsico.com
PepsiCo completes the acquisition of Strauss Group’s 50 percent interest, making Sabra a wholly owned subsidiary.
2021
Salmonella-related Classic Hummus recall
[7]Sabra Dipping Company Issues Limited Voluntary Recall of a Single SKU of Classic Hummusfda.gov
Sabra recalls approximately 2,100 cases of one Classic Hummus SKU following FDA screening for possible Salmonella contamination.
2021
Joey Bergstein becomes president and CEO
[9]Sabra Names Joey Bergstein as President and CEOprnewswire.com
Joey Bergstein joins Sabra as president and chief executive officer, succeeding Tomer Harpaz.
2018
Tomer Harpaz becomes CEO
[10]Sabra Dipping Company Welcomes Tomer Harpaz as CEOprnewswire.com
Tomer Harpaz takes over as chief executive officer of Sabra and the related Obela venture.
2016
Second major Listeria-related recall
[13]Second major Listeria-related recallfoodnavigator.com
Multiple hummus varieties are voluntarily recalled after Listeria is found in the manufacturing environment.
2015
Classic Hummus recall linked to Listeria concern
[12]FDA Recall Notice for Sabra Hummus, 2015content.govdelivery.com
Sabra recalls approximately 30,000 cases of Classic Hummus after a Michigan retail sample tests positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
2009
First national U.S. advertising campaign launches
[1]Sabra (company)en.wikipedia.org
Sabra begins a nationwide advertising effort as hummus becomes more familiar to American consumers.
2008
PepsiCo and Strauss establish a 50/50 North American joint venture
[6]PepsiCo and Strauss Group Complete Formation of North American Joint Venturepepsico.com
Frito-Lay, a PepsiCo division, joins Strauss in a joint venture to manufacture, distribute, and sell Sabra products in the United States and Canada.
2008
Virginia manufacturing plant is announced
[1]Sabra (company)en.wikipedia.org
Sabra announces plans for a major new facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia, to support national growth.
2005
Strauss acquires Sabra
[1]Sabra (company)en.wikipedia.org
Israeli food manufacturer Strauss acquires the Sabra business, adding it to its prepared-foods and dips operations.
1986
Sabra-Blue & White Foods is founded
[1]Sabra (company)en.wikipedia.org
Zohar Norman and Yehuda Pearl establish the business in Queens, New York, creating the company that later becomes Sabra Dipping Company.

Products and positioning

Mainstream, accessible refrigerated dips brand combining Mediterranean-inspired flavors, convenience, plant-based eating, and social sharing.

Hummus
Classic Hummus
Sabra’s foundational hummus product combines chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and seasonings in a smooth refrigerated dip. It is sold in multiple tub sizes and single-serve formats and is positioned for dipping, spreading, cooking, lunch, and casual sharing. The product is marketed as vegan, vegetarian, kosher, gluten-free, dairy-free, and non-GMO where applicable.
Hummus
Flavored Hummus
Sabra has developed a broad family of flavored hummus products intended to extend the category beyond the classic recipe. Examples include roasted red pepper, roasted garlic, roasted pine nut, supremely spicy, caramelized onion, lemon twist, olive tapenade, spinach and artichoke, chimichurri, and falafel-style varieties. These products use familiar flavor cues to make hummus suitable for different tastes and occasions.
Guacamole
Classic Guacamole
Sabra’s guacamole line extends the brand into avocado-based dips. Classic and lime versions are made with Hass avocados sourced from Mexico and are sold in tubs for snacking, entertaining, spreading, and meal accompaniment. The products are presented as plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, dairy-free, and non-GMO where specified.
Guacamole
Spicy and Specialty Guacamole
Sabra has also offered spicy and flavored guacamole products, including spicy guacamole and Mexican street-corn-inspired formulations. These products use seasoning and mix-ins to provide alternatives to the classic avocado profile and to connect the brand with party, snack, and meal occasions.
Portable snacks
Sabra Snackers
Sabra Snackers are portable, portion-controlled products that pair hummus or guacamole with accompaniments such as pretzels or rolled tortilla chips. They address lunchbox, desk, travel, and convenience-store occasions and represent Sabra’s effort to move beyond tubs into ready-to-eat snacking formats.
Single-serve dips
Hummus Singles and Guacamole Singles
The Singles range packages hummus or guacamole in small individual cups, typically sold in multipacks. The format emphasizes portion control, portability, and ease of use for lunches, snacks, catering, and food-service settings while retaining the brand’s principal flavors.
Breakfast snacks
Breakfast Avocado Toast
Sabra has offered single-serve breakfast-oriented avocado toast trays, extending the brand into a more complete ready-to-eat occasion. The product uses avocado as a base and is designed for convenient morning or daytime consumption.

Marketing campaigns

2017Plants with a Purpose
United States
Sabra promoted Plants with a Purpose as a community initiative focused on nutrition and the effects of food deserts in the United States.
Outcome. The initiative linked Sabra’s plant-based product identity with community engagement and access to better nutrition.
Source
2015Hummus as a Cultural Movement
United States · Canada
Sabra increasingly marketed hummus as an accessible old-world food with new flavors and modern uses, connecting the product with sharing, discovery, social eating, and plant-based lifestyles.
Outcome. The positioning broadened hummus beyond a conventional dip and supported the brand’s presence across snacking, lunch, entertaining, and meal occasions.
Source
2009First National Advertising Campaign
United States
Sabra launched its first U.S. national advertising campaign with StrawberryFrog as hummus moved from specialty retail into mainstream grocery and snacking.
Outcome. The campaign helped establish Sabra as a national consumer brand rather than a regional or specialty-food label.
Source
2009Mediterranean Villages
United States
Sabra staged temporary Mediterranean-village experiences in 11 major U.S. cities, combining sampling, cultural imagery, food education, and public interaction.
Outcome. The program made hummus and Mediterranean food culture more visible in urban public spaces and supported national brand awareness.
Source
2008Presidential Candidate Hummus Busts
United States
During the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign season, Sabra commissioned sculptor Kirk Rademaker to create busts of John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton from approximately 100 pounds of hummus. The stunt used political culture and novelty media to attract attention to the brand.
Outcome. The activation generated publicity and associated Sabra with playful, unconventional experiential marketing.
Source

Brand decisions

2024
Acquire Strauss Group’s remaining stakeM&A
Background
After more than 15 years as equal partners, PepsiCo and Strauss agreed to end the Sabra joint venture structure.
Action taken
PepsiCo acquired Strauss Group’s 50 percent ownership in Sabra and became the sole owner on December 3, 2024.
Aftermath
Sabra became a wholly owned PepsiCo subsidiary while retaining its consumer brand identity and North American operating focus.
Cash consideration. 241000000 USD (Transaction completed December 3, 2024)
Source
2021
Appoint Joey Bergstein as CEOOther
Background
Sabra sought leadership suited to continued expansion in plant-based foods, sustainability, and fresh refrigerated snacking.
Action taken
Joey Bergstein was appointed president and chief executive officer, succeeding Tomer Harpaz.
Aftermath
The company continued to emphasize fresh hummus, guacamole, plant-based dips, and sustainability-oriented brand development.
Source
2008
Form a 50/50 PepsiCo-Strauss joint ventureM&A
Background
Strauss sought to expand Sabra’s North American scale while PepsiCo wanted a stronger position in refrigerated fresh dips and spreads.
Action taken
Frito-Lay, a PepsiCo division, joined Strauss as an equal partner in the Sabra operating venture for the United States and Canada.
Aftermath
The partnership combined Strauss’s product expertise with PepsiCo’s distribution and retail infrastructure and supported Sabra’s national expansion.
Source
2008
Invest in a major Virginia production facilityStrategy
Background
Rapid growth in hummus demand created a need for greater manufacturing capacity and a more centralized North American supply base.
Action taken
Sabra announced a new facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia, with production expected around 2010.
Aftermath
The Virginia site became a central manufacturing and development location for Sabra’s hummus business.
Announced plant investment. 61000000 USD planned investment (2008 announcement)
Source

Recent events

2022.02.03
Reported2022.02.03
Sienna announces acquisition of 50% interest in retirement portfolio[14]Sienna宣布收购退休生活资产组合50%权益finance.yahoo.com
Sienna announced an agreement to acquire a 50% ownership interest in an 11-asset seniors' living portfolio in Ontario and Saskatchewan alongside Sabra, which will acquire the other 50%. Sienna will manage the portfolio, and the sellers are Extendicare Inc.
2021.12.16
Reported2021.12.16
Sabra and Fifth Season announce salad-kit collaboration[15]Sabra 与 Fifth Season 宣布合作推出沙拉套装freshplaza.com
Sabra and Fifth Season announced a collaboration to offer salad kits featuring greens paired with Sabra hummus, guacamole and whole grains.

Sources15 sources

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