EDISON, NJ. — Colavita USA, a manufacturer of Italian specialty products, has acquired Fair Lawn, NJ-based Vitelli Foods. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Colavita said the acquisition strengthens its position as the third-largest importer of Italian pasta into the United States and bolsters its presence in the tomato market.

Founded in 1885, Luigi Vitelli primarily was involved in the canned tomato business until the mid-1990s, when the company began operating as Vitelli Foods and expanded its line of products to include pasta, beans and other Italian specialties. Today, the company offers a broad range of dry pasta products under the Luigi Vitelli brand, including penne rigate, bow ties, cut ziti, elbows, rotini, fettuccine, spaghetti and many others. The company also offers organic whole wheat pasta and artisanal pasta.

“Luigi Vitelli is an iconic brand that we want to preserve and introduce to the next generations, continuing the great work done by Claudia Vitelli and Roy Taormina,” said Giovanni Colavita, chief executive officer of Colavita USA. “I’ve known Claudia for years and have always respected and admired what she has built, preserving the great family tradition that we share. The Vitelli brand’s importance to the history of Italian food in this country is truly unmatched. In fact, this year marks the 125th anniversary of Vitelli’s membership in the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the US, an organization that includes Amerigo Vitelli among its founders.”