HOT SAUCE SELL-OFF

RECKITT Benckiser is thinking about selling its food business.

It is believed that ditching the division, which includes French’s mustard and Frank’s Red Hot sauce, will help pay for the household goods giant’s £14.3bn acquisition of baby-formula maker Mead Johnson. Reckitt said in February it was buying Mead. It’s thought a sale of its food arm, which made £411m in sales last year and accounts for about 4pc of the firm’s total revenue, could fetch up to £2bn – easing the burden of the acquisition. Shares fell 0.4pc, or 30p, to 7256p.