Old El Paso is an American food brand specialising in Mexican-inspired and Tex-Mex-style products, particularly those designed for preparing tacos, fajitas, nachos, burritos and similar meals at home. Owned by General Mills, the brand is sold in numerous markets worldwide. General Mills describes Old El Paso as a brand that has been “spicing up meal planning” since 1938.[1]

The description of the founding date varies depending on context: while the modern Old El Paso brand identity dates to 1938, the business traces its origins to the Mountain Pass Canning Company, founded in New Mexico in 1917.[1]

Origins: Mountain Pass Canning Company

The history of Old El Paso began in the American Southwest. The enterprise eventually associated with the brand was originally known as the Mountain Pass Canning Company.

According to the brand’s own historical records, operations commenced in 1917 in New Mexico on a small farm of approximately seven acres. Early products included canned tomatoes and pinto beans.[2]

This origin is significant because Old El Paso did not begin as a taco or Mexican-meal company; rather, it evolved from a conventional canned-food business into a specialist in Mexican-inspired cuisine.

1938: The Old El Paso name

In 1938, the company adopted the Old El Paso name and began developing the identity that would eventually gain international recognition. Consequently, this year is treated as the principal establishment date of the brand.[1]

The name refers to El Paso, Texas, a city on the U.S.–Mexico border historically associated with trade and cultural exchange between the two nations. The brand’s British website explains that the name was inspired by the city and its historical importance as a route connecting Mexico and the United States.[2]

Development of Mexican-inspired foods

Over time, Old El Paso expanded beyond canned vegetables to develop a broader range of foods associated with Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking.

The brand played a pivotal role in introducing convenient Mexican-style meals to mainstream American supermarkets. Historical material from General Mills describes Old El Paso as the first brand to offer a full line of Mexican meals nationally and the first to advertise Mexican food in the United States.[1]

By the 1970s, the expansion of Old El Paso and similar products helped lead supermarkets to establish dedicated Mexican-food sections. The brand also expanded its dinner-kit concept internationally during this period.[3]

Ownership changes

Old El Paso has passed through several corporate owners throughout its history. A simplified ownership timeline includes:

• 1917 — Mountain Pass Canning Company begins operations.
• 1938 — The Old El Paso name becomes established as a brand.
• 1968 — The brand was acquired by Pet, Inc.
• 1995 — Pillsbury acquired Old El Paso as part of its acquisition of Pet, Inc.
• 2001 — General Mills acquired Pillsbury, bringing Old El Paso into its portfolio.[3]

Today, Old El Paso remains one of General Mills’ major meal-oriented brands.

The central proposition of Old El Paso is to make Mexican-inspired meals relatively easy to prepare at home. Its portfolio includes:

• Taco shells
• Soft tortillas
• Taco seasoning
• Dinner kits
• Cooking sauces
• Salsa
• Dips
• Rice
• Beans
• Tortilla chips
• Fajita products
• Nacho-related products
• Other Mexican-inspired meal components

General Mills currently highlights shells and tortillas, seasonings and dinner kits as major categories for the brand.[1]

The precise product range differs considerably by country. For instance, operations in the UK and Australia describe broader ranges including cooking sauces, salsas, dips, seasoning mixes, tortillas and chips.[2]

One of the most recognisable contributions of Old El Paso to the category is the Mexican dinner kit.

Rather than requiring consumers to purchase every ingredient individually, a kit combines several components—such as taco shells or tortillas and seasoning—into a single convenient package.

This aligns with a broader strategy used by General Mills: creating foods that provide convenience, accessibility and flexibility for everyday meals.[1]

The concept also helped transform Mexican-style cooking from something perceived as specialised or unfamiliar into an approachable weeknight meal for consumers who might not traditionally cook Mexican food.

Old El Paso is positioned less as a premium restaurant-style Mexican brand and more as a fun, accessible, family-oriented meal brand.

Its marketing traditionally emphasises:

• 🌮 Tacos and Mexican-inspired food
• 🎉 Fun and celebration
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family meals
• 🍽️ Sharing food
• 🌶️ Bold flavours
• ⏱️ Convenience
• 🏠 Making restaurant-style Mexican-inspired meals at home

International materials from the brand explicitly describe Mexican food as something particularly enjoyable to share, connecting the product to social and family occasions rather than simply selling individual food ingredients.[2]

A key distinction is that Old El Paso is an American brand of Mexican-inspired and Tex-Mex food, not a traditional Mexican food company.

Its products are designed for international consumers and often represent an adaptation of Mexican culinary ideas to convenient packaged food formats.

Consequently, products such as hard taco shells, seasoning packets and complete dinner kits reflect the American Tex-Mex and packaged-food tradition more than they represent the full diversity of traditional Mexican cuisine.

This distinction is useful when understanding the brand’s cultural position: Old El Paso essentially helped commercialise and popularise Mexican-inspired flavours in convenient supermarket formats.

Old El Paso has become an international brand rather than remaining exclusively American.

For example, the brand entered the United Kingdom in 1984. The UK operation states that it subsequently became the No. 1 Mexican food brand in the UK, citing Nielsen data. General Mills’ UK site also describes Old El Paso as a worldwide brand and notes that it has become the No. 1 Mexican food brand in the UK, Australia, France and Spain.[2]

Products and branding may differ between countries according to local tastes, regulations and shopping habits.

For instance, products sold in the UK and Europe are produced in different manufacturing locations from some products sold in North America. The UK Old El Paso site notes that its products are generally made in Spain for the UK, Europe and other markets.[2]

Old El Paso is part of General Mills, one of the world’s major packaged-food companies.

General Mills has roots dating back to 1866, when Cadwallader Washburn established a flour mill in Minneapolis. The General Mills company itself was formed in 1928 through a merger of milling companies.[1]

Today, General Mills maintains a portfolio of more than 100 brands sold in over 100 countries. Other brands in its portfolio include Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Nature Valley, Annie’s, Progresso and Blue Buffalo.[1]

Within this portfolio, Old El Paso occupies the Mexican-inspired meals segment.

The visual identity of Old El Paso is strongly associated with the American Southwest and Mexican/Tex-Mex imagery.

Branding has historically incorporated elements such as:

• Desert landscapes
• Cacti
• Southwestern architecture
• Warm reds, yellows and oranges
• Western/Southwestern typography
• Mexican-inspired food imagery

This creates a visual shorthand for the brand’s positioning: Southwestern atmosphere combined with Mexican-inspired food and family meal occasions.

Trademark imagery has even incorporated a desert scene, cactus and star beneath the Old El Paso name.[4]

Old El Paso is not manufactured in a single factory worldwide; production varies according to the market and product.

For example, the UK operation states that its products are generally produced in a dedicated facility in Spain, while noting that consumers should check individual packaging for the country of manufacture.[2]

This is typical of a global packaged-food brand, where manufacturing and distribution networks are organised regionally.

The significance of Old El Paso extends beyond its individual products.

The brand helped make Mexican-inspired food a familiar supermarket category in the United States. Its dinner kits, taco shells, seasonings and related products offered consumers a standardised and convenient way to prepare Mexican-style meals.

Historical accounts from General Mills specifically credit Old El Paso with helping establish Mexican food as a recognisable supermarket category during the 1960s and 1970s.[1]

In this sense, Old El Paso can be viewed as an important example of the Americanisation and commercialisation of Mexican-inspired cuisine.

As of 2026, Old El Paso remains part of the global portfolio of General Mills. The current brand continues to focus on Mexican-inspired meal solutions, particularly tacos, tortillas, seasonings and dinner kits.[1]

General Mills currently describes the brand around the idea of making meals into a fiesta, while international websites emphasise sharing food and bringing people together.[1]

The brand also continues to introduce new products and collaborations. Recent examples include variations of its Stand ‘N’ Stuff taco format and other limited or co-branded products.[1]

Old El Paso is notable for several reasons:

1. Longevity — Its modern brand history stretches back to 1938, while corporate roots reach back to 1917.
2. Category creation — It played a major role in establishing Mexican-inspired packaged food as a mainstream supermarket category in the United States.
3. Convenience — It helped turn tacos and other Mexican-inspired meals into easy-to-prepare home meals.
4. Globalisation — The brand expanded from the United States into numerous international markets.
5. Corporate scale — Its acquisition by General Mills placed it within one of the world’s largest packaged-food portfolios.
6. Cultural influence — It represents the international commercialisation of Mexican-inspired and Tex-Mex food.
7. Strong identity — Its combination of tacos, Southwestern imagery, bright colours and family-oriented marketing gives it a highly recognisable brand personality.

1. Old El Paso – Brands – Food we make | General Mills
2. About Us – Mexican Dinner Kits & Side Dishes – Old El Paso – Old El Paso
3. Old El Paso
4. OLD EL PASO ESTABLISHED 1938 Trademark – Registration Number 4763762 – Serial Number 86428073 :: Justia Trademarks