Graphic: The 10 Biggest Food Deals

The food industry has long been a fertile area for deal activity. Companies that can offer well-known brands and strong steady cash flows are attractive to both strategic buyers and private equity firms. Food, along with tobacco, was at the heart of one of the fiercest corporate takeover battles â€" the fight for RJR Nabisco, as famously chronicled in “Barbarians at the Gate.”

The acquisition announced on Thursday by Warren E. Buffett and 3G Capital Management ranks No. 4 among food deals, at $27.28 billion figure, which includes debt but is net of cash, according to Thomson Reuters data. The spinoff of Kraft Foods from Altria in 2007 ranks as the largest food deal.

Here are the biggest, according to Thomson Reuters:

10 Biggest Food Deals

DEAL, IN BILLIONSTARGETBUYERANNOUNCED

Source: Thomson Reuters * Deal is pending.
$61.5	Kraft Foods	Shareholders	January 2007
60.4	Anheuser-Busch	InBev NV	June 2008
36.0	Kraft Foods-North American Grocery	Shareholders	September 2012
27.2	HJ Heinz	Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital Partners	February 2013*
23.6	Bestfoods	Unilever	May 2000
23.1	William Wrigley Jr.	Mars	April 2008
20.8	Cadbury	Kraft Foods	September 2009
20.0	Grupo Modelo SAB de CV	Anheuser-Busch Inbev	May 2012*
19.3	Nabisco Holdings	Philip Morris	May 2000
18.6	Scottish & Newca! stle	L’Arche Green NV	October 2007