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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 20, 2013

Registration No. 333-           

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

B&G FOODS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation or organization) 13-3918742
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110
Parsippany, NJ 07054
973.401.6500
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)

Scott E. Lerner
Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer
Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110
Parsippany, NJ 07054
973.401.6500
(Name, address including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copy to:
Sarah B. Gelb, Esq.
Dechert LLP
Cira Centre
2929 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215.994.4000

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement as determined by the registrant.

           If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box: o

           If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ý

           If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o                         

           If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o                         

           If this Form is a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ý

           If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o

           Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer ý Accelerated filer o Non-accelerated filer o
(Do not check if a
smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company o

Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered	Amount to be Registered(1)(2)	Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit(1)(2)	Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2)	Amount of Registration Fee(3)
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Debt Securities
Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt Securities(4)
Warrants
Units
TOTAL

(1)

Omitted pursuant to Form S-3 General Instruction II.E.

(2)

An unspecified amount of the securities of each identified class of securities is being registered for possible issuance from time to time at indeterminate prices. Separate consideration may or may not be received for securities that are issuable on exercise, conversion or exchange of other securities or that are issued in units. The unspecified amount of securities registered hereunder include $490,217,759 of securities (the "Unsold Securities") that were registered pursuant to the registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-168846), filed on August 13, 2010. In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, we are deferring payment of all applicable registration fees, except for $23,687 of unutilized fees previously paid with respect to the Unsold Securities. Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, $23,687 of filing fees (calculated at the rate in effect at the time the prior registration statement was filed) paid in connection with the Unsold Securities will continue to be applied to such Unsold Securities, and the offering of Unsold Securities under Registration Statement No. 333-168846 will be deemed terminated as of the filing date of this automatic shelf registration statement.

(3)

Deferred in reliance upon Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act.

(4)

Includes an indeterminate amount of subsidiary guarantees of the debt securities by the additional registrants named herein. No additional consideration will be received for the subsidiary guarantees, if any, of the debt securities. Pursuant to Rule 457(n) under the Securities Act, no additional filing fee is required in connection with the subsidiary guarantees of the debt securities.

B&G FOODS, INC.
Table of Additional Registrants

Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter	Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization	IRS Employer Identification Number
B&G Foods North America, Inc.	Delaware		22-3640377
B&G Foods Snacks, Inc.	Delaware		46-1040154
William Underwood Company	Massachusetts		04-1919830

        The address, including zip code, and telephone, including area code, of the principal executive offices of each additional registrant listed above is: c/o B&G Foods, Inc., Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110, Parsippany, NJ 07054; their telephone number at that address is 973.401.6500.

        The name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of the agent for service of each additional registrant listed above is: Scott E. Lerner, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer, B&G Foods, Inc., Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110, Parsippany, NJ 07054; 973.401.6500.

PROSPECTUS

Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units

        We may offer and sell, from time to time in one or more offerings, together or separately, common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants or units. This prospectus also covers subsidiary guarantees, if any, of our payment obligations under any debt securities, which may be given by our subsidiaries, on terms to be determined at the time of the offering.

        We will provide the specific terms of these securities in supplements to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information in this prospectus. Before you invest, we urge you to read carefully this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, as well as the documents incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

        We will sell these securities directly, or through agents, dealers or underwriters as designated from time to time, or through a combination of these methods. The prospectus supplement for each offering of securities will describe in detail the plan of distribution for that offering. For general information about the distribution of securities offered, please see "Plan of Distribution" in this prospectus. If our agents or any dealers or underwriters are involved in the sale of the securities, the applicable prospectus supplement will set forth any applicable commissions or discounts. Our net proceeds from the sale of securities also will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

        Shares of our common stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "BGS." Each prospectus supplement will indicate if the securities offered thereby will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange or any other securities exchange.

        The mailing address of our principal executive offices is Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110, Parsippany, NJ 07054, and our telephone number is 973.401.6500.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk which is described in the "Risk Factors" section beginning on page 1 of this prospectus. We urge you to carefully read the "Risk Factors" section before you make your investment decision.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is May 20, 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	Page
About this Prospectus	i
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements	ii
The Company	1
Use of Proceeds	1
Risk Factors	1
General Description of the Securities We May Offer	2
Description of Capital Stock	2
Description of Debt Securities	8
Description of Warrants	17
Description of Units	20
Plan of Distribution	20
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges	23
Legal Matters	23
Experts	23
Where You Can Find More Information	23
Incorporation by Reference	24

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

        This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) using a "shelf" registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer from time to time, in one or more offerings, together or separately, common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants or units. Each time we offer securities, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement that describes the specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities we offer. The prospectus supplement also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read carefully both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described below under the caption "Where You Can Find More Information."

        This prospectus does not contain all the information provided in the registration statement we filed with the SEC. For further information about us or our securities offered hereby, you should refer to that registration statement, which you can obtain from the SEC as described below under the heading "Where You Can Find More Information."

        We have not authorized anyone to provide information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus or a prospectus supplement. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is not an offer to sell securities, and it is not soliciting an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, as well as information we have previously filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference, is accurate as of the date on the front of those documents only. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

        We may sell securities through underwriters or dealers, through agents, directly to purchasers or through a combination of these methods. We and our agents reserve the sole right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of securities. The prospectus supplement, which we will provide to you each time we offer securities, will set forth the names of any underwriters, dealers, agents or others involved in the sale of securities and any applicable fee, commission or discount arrangements with them. See the information described below under the heading "Plan of Distribution."

        The terms "B&G Foods," "our," "we" and "us," as used in this prospectus, refer to B&G Foods, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, except where it is clear that the term refers only to the parent company.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        This prospectus and the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and each prospectus supplement relating to a particular offering of securities, contain forward-looking statements. The words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "estimates," "projects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance and achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. We believe important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include the following:

•

our substantial leverage;

•

the effects of rising costs for our raw materials, packaging and ingredients;

•

crude oil prices and their impact on distribution, packaging and energy costs;

•

our ability to successfully implement sales price increases and cost saving measures to offset any cost increases;

•

intense competition, changes in consumer preferences, demand for our products and local economic and market conditions;

•

our continued ability to promote brand equity successfully, to anticipate and respond to new consumer trends, to develop new products and markets, to broaden brand portfolios in order to compete effectively with lower priced products and in markets that are consolidating at the retail and manufacturing levels, and to improve productivity;

•

the risks associated with the expansion of our business;

•

our possible inability to integrate any businesses we acquire;

•

our ability to access the credit markets and our borrowing costs and credit ratings, which may be influenced by credit markets generally and the credit ratings of our competitors;

•

the effects of currency movements of the Canadian dollar as compared to the U.S. dollar;

•

other factors that affect the food industry generally, including:

•

recalls if products become adulterated or misbranded, liability if product consumption causes injury, ingredient disclosure and labeling laws and regulations and the possibility that consumers could lose confidence in the safety and quality of certain food products;

•

competitors' pricing practices and promotional spending levels;

•

the risks associated with third-party suppliers and co-packers, including the risk that any failure by one or more of our third-party suppliers or co-packers to comply with food safety or other laws and regulations may disrupt our supply of raw materials or certain finished goods products or injure our reputation; and

•

fluctuations in the level of our customers' inventories and credit and other business risks related to our customers operating in a challenging economic and competitive environment; and

•

other factors discussed under "Risk Factors" or elsewhere in this prospectus.

        Developments in any of these areas, which are more fully described elsewhere in this prospectus and the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and

ii

each applicable prospectus supplement, could cause our results to differ materially from results that have been or may be projected by or on our behalf.

        All forward-looking statements included in this prospectus are based on information available to us on the date of this prospectus. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this prospectus.

        We caution that the foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. We urge you not to unduly rely on forward-looking statements contained or incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement.

iii

THE COMPANY

        We manufacture, sell and distribute a diverse portfolio of branded, high quality, shelf-stable food products across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Many of our branded products have leading regional or national market shares. In general, we position our branded products to appeal to the consumer desiring a high quality and reasonably priced product. We complement our branded product retail sales with institutional and food service sales and limited private label sales.

        Our goal is to continue to increase sales, profitability and cash flows by enhancing our existing portfolio of branded, shelf-stable products and by capitalizing on our competitive strengths. We intend to implement our growth strategy through the following initiatives: expanding our brand portfolio with acquisitions of complementary branded businesses, continuing to develop innovative new products and delivering them to market quickly, leveraging our multiple-channel sales, marketing and distribution system and continuing to focus on higher growth customers and distribution channels. Since 1996, we have successfully acquired and integrated more than 25 brands into our company.

        Our products include hot cereals, fruit spreads, canned meats and beans, spices, seasonings, marinades, hot sauces, wine vinegar, maple syrup, molasses, salad dressings, Mexican-style sauces, taco shells and kits, salsas, pickles, peppers, nut clusters and other specialty food products. We compete in the retail grocery, food service, specialty, private label, club and mass merchandiser channels of distribution. Our products are marketed under many recognized brands, including Ac'cent, B&G, B&M, Baker's Joy, Brer Rabbit, Cream of Rice, Cream of Wheat, Devonsheer, Don Pepino, Emeril's, Grandma's Molasses, JJ Flats, Joan of Arc, Las Palmas, Maple Grove Farms of Vermont, Molly McButter, Mrs. Dash, New York Style, Ortega, Polaner, Red Devil, Regina, Sa-són, Sclafani, Sugar Twin, Trappey's, TrueNorth, Underwood, Vermont Maid and Wright's. We also sell and distribute two branded household products, Static Guard and Kleen Guard.

        B&G Foods, including our subsidiaries and predecessors, has been in business for over 120 years. We were incorporated in Delaware on November 25, 1996 under the name B Companies Holdings Corp. On August 11, 1997, we changed our name to B&G Foods Holdings Corp. On October 14, 2004, simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering, B&G Foods, Inc., then our wholly-owned subsidiary, was merged with and into us and we were renamed B&G Foods, Inc. Our executive offices are located at Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110, Parsippany, NJ, 07054, and our telephone number is 973.401.6500. We maintain a website at www.bgfoods.com. The information on our website is not a part of this prospectus or incorporated by reference herein.

USE OF PROCEEDS

        Except as otherwise provided in a prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities for general corporate purposes, which may include reducing or refinancing our outstanding indebtedness, increasing our working capital or financing acquisitions and capital expenditures. When a particular series of securities is offered, the prospectus supplement relating to that offering will set forth our intended use of the net proceeds received from the sale of those securities. Pending the application of the net proceeds for these purposes, we expect to invest the proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing instruments or other investment-grade securities.

RISK FACTORS

        Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks described under "Risk Factors" in the applicable prospectus supplement and in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, or any updates in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, together with all of the other information appearing in this prospectus or incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, in light of your particular investment objectives and financial circumstances. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

        We, directly or through agents, dealers or underwriters designated from time to time, may offer, issue and sell, together or separately:

•

shares of our common stock;

•

shares of our preferred stock;

•

debt securities, in one or more series, and which may be guaranteed by certain of our subsidiaries;

•

warrants to purchase our debt or equity securities; or

•

any combination of the foregoing, either individually or as units consisting of one or more of the foregoing, each on terms to be determined at the time of sale.

        We may issue debt securities that are exchangeable for or convertible into shares of our common stock or our preferred stock. The preferred stock may also be exchangeable for and/or convertible into shares of our common stock or another series of our preferred stock.

        When a particular series of securities is offered, a supplement to this prospectus will be delivered with this prospectus, which will set forth the terms of the offering and sale of the offered securities, as well as complete descriptions of the security or securities to be offered pursuant to the prospectus supplement. The summary descriptions of securities included in this prospectus are not meant to be complete descriptions of each security.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

        The following description of common stock and preferred stock, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the common stock and preferred stock that we may offer under this prospectus. For the complete terms of our common stock and preferred stock, please refer to our certificate of incorporation, as amended from time to time, any certificates of designation for our preferred stock, and our bylaws, as amended from time to time. The Delaware General Corporation Law may also affect the terms of these securities. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future common stock or preferred stock that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any series of these securities in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we so indicate in a prospectus supplement, the terms of any common stock or preferred stock we offer under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below.

        Our authorized capital stock consists of:

•

125,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share; and

•

1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share.

        As of May 17, 2013, there are 52,858,772 shares of our common stock outstanding. There are no shares of preferred stock outstanding.

Common Stock

        Voting.    The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share with respect to each matter on which the holders of our common stock are entitled to vote.

        No Cumulative Voting Rights.    The holders of our common stock are not entitled to cumulate their votes in the election of our directors.

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        Rights to Dividends and on Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.    The holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends as they may be lawfully declared from time to time by our board of directors, subject to any preferential rights of holders of any outstanding shares of preferred stock. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our company, common stockholders are entitled to share ratably in our assets available for distribution to the stockholders, subject to the prior rights of holders of any outstanding preferred stock.

        Our dividend policy reflects a basic judgment that our stockholders would be better served if we distributed a substantial portion of our cash available to pay dividends to them instead of retaining it in our business. Under this policy, a substantial portion of the cash generated by our company in excess of operating needs, interest and principal payments on indebtedness, capital expenditures sufficient to maintain our properties and other assets is distributed as regular quarterly cash dividends to the holders of our common stock and not retained by us.

        We have paid dividends every quarter since our initial public offering in October 2004. Our current quarterly dividend rate is $0.29 per share. The following table sets forth the dividends per share we have declared in each of the quarterly periods of 2012 and 2011 and the first two quarterly periods of 2013:

	Fiscal 2013		Fiscal 2012		Fiscal 2011
Fourth Quarter		N/A	$	0.29	$	0.23
Third Quarter		N/A	$	0.27	$	0.21
Second Quarter	$	0.29	$	0.27	$	0.21
First Quarter	$	0.29	$	0.27	$	0.21

        However, notwithstanding the dividend policy, the amount of dividends, if any, for each dividend payment date will be determined by our board of directors on a quarterly basis after taking into account various factors, including our results of operations, cash requirements, financial condition, the dividend restrictions set forth in our debt agreements, provisions of applicable law and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Our dividend policy is based upon our current assessment of our business and the environment in which we operate, and that assessment could change based on competitive or other developments (which could, for example, increase our need for capital expenditures or working capital), new acquisition opportunities or other factors. Our board of directors is free to depart from or change our dividend policy at any time and could do so, for example, if it was to determine that we have insufficient cash to take advantage of growth opportunities.

We cannot assure you that we will continue to pay dividends at the historical level set forth above or at all. Dividend payments are not mandatory or guaranteed, and holders of our common stock do not have any legal right to receive, or require us to pay, dividends. Our board of directors may, in its sole discretion, amend or repeal this dividend policy at any time. Furthermore, our board of directors may decrease the level of dividends below the rate historically paid or discontinue entirely the payment of dividends.

        Preemptive and Other Subscription Rights.    Common stockholders do not have preemptive, subscription or redemption rights and are not subject to further calls or assessments.

        Additional Issuance of Our Authorized Common Stock.    Additional shares of our authorized common stock may be issued, as determined by the board of directors of our company from time to time, without approval of holders of our common stock, except as may be required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which our securities may be listed or traded.

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Preferred Stock

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that we may issue up to 1,000,000 shares of our preferred stock in one or more series as may be determined by our board of directors.

        Our board of directors has broad discretionary authority with respect to the rights of issued series of our preferred stock and may take several actions without any vote or action of the holders of our common stock, including:

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determining the number of shares to be included in each series;

•

fixing the designation, powers, preferences and relative rights of the shares of each series and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions with respect to each series, including provisions related to dividends, conversion, voting, redemption and liquidation, which may be superior to those of our common stock; and

•

increasing or decreasing the number of shares of any series.

        The board of directors may authorize, without approval of holders of our common stock, the issuance of preferred stock with voting and conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of holders of our common stock. For example, our preferred stock may rank prior to our common stock as to dividend rights, liquidation preferences or both, may have full or limited voting rights and may be convertible into shares of our common stock. The number of authorized shares of our preferred stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of our common stock, without a vote of the holders of any other class or series of our preferred stock unless required by the terms of such class or series of preferred stock.

        Our preferred stock could be issued quickly with terms designed to delay or prevent a change in the control of our company or to make the removal of our management more difficult. This could have the effect of discouraging third-party bids for our common stock or may otherwise adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

        We believe that the ability of our board of directors to issue one or more series of our preferred stock will provide us with flexibility in structuring possible future financings and acquisitions, and in meeting other corporate needs that might arise. The authorized shares of our preferred stock, as well as shares of our common stock, will be available for issuance without action by our common stockholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which our securities may be listed or traded.

        Although our board of directors has no intention at the present time of doing so, it could issue a series of our preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of such series, be used to implement a stockholder rights plan or otherwise impede the completion of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt of our company. Our board of directors could issue preferred stock having terms that could discourage an acquisition attempt through which an acquiror may be able to change the composition of the board of directors, including a tender offer or other transaction that some, or a majority, of our stockholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which stockholders might receive a premium for their stock over the then current market price.

Composition of Board of Directors; Election and Removal of Directors

        In accordance with our bylaws, the number of directors comprising our board of directors will be as determined from time to time by our board of directors. We currently have eight directors. Each director is to hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified. Directors are elected for a term that will expire at the annual meeting of stockholders immediately succeeding their election.

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        Directors may be removed from office with or without cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all then-outstanding shares of our capital stock that are entitled to vote generally in the election of our directors, voting together as a single class. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock, our certificate of incorporation provides that in the case of any vacancies among the directors such vacancy will be filled with a candidate approved by the vote of a majority of the remaining directors, even if less than a quorum (and not by stockholders).

        The filling of vacancies could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire, control of us.

        At any meeting of our board of directors, a majority of the total number of directors then in office will constitute a quorum for all purposes.

Stockholder Action

        Stockholders may act by written consent, without a meeting and without notice or a vote. This provision enables stockholders to act on matters subject to a stockholder vote without waiting until the next annual or special meeting of stockholders.

Special Meetings of Stockholders

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that special meetings of the stockholders may be called at any time by the board of directors, the chairman of the board of directors or the holders of at least 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock.

Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law

        Our company is subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a "business combination" with an "interested stockholder" for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A "business combination" includes a merger, asset sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An "interested stockholder" is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns (or, in some cases, within three years prior, did own) 15% or more of the corporation's voting stock. Under Section 203, a business combination between the corporation and an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies one of the following conditions:

•

the board of directors must have previously approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

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upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced (excluding, for purposes of determining the number of our shares outstanding, shares owned by (a) persons who are directors and also officers and (b) employee stock plans, in some instances); or

•

the business combination is approved by the board of directors of the corporation and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

        The existence of this provision may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by our board of directors, including discouraging takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of our common stock.

5

Other Anti-Takeover Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

        Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain several provisions, in addition to those pertaining to the issuance of additional shares of our authorized common stock and preferred stock without the approval of the holders of our common stock that could delay or make more difficult the acquisition of our company through a hostile tender offer, open market purchases, proxy contest, merger or other takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in his or her best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of our common stock. Such provisions, which are described below, include advance notice procedures regarding any proposal of stockholder business to be discussed at a stockholders meeting.

        Advance Notice Procedure for Director Nominations and Stockholder Proposals.    Our bylaws provide that, subject to the rights of holders of any outstanding shares of our preferred stock, a stockholder may nominate one or more persons for election as directors at a meeting only if written notice of the stockholder's nomination has been given, either by personal delivery or certified mail, to our corporate secretary not less than 120 days nor more than 150 days before the first anniversary of the date of our proxy statement in connection with our last annual meeting of stockholders. Each notice must contain:

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the name, age, business address and, if known, residential address of each nominee;

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the principal occupation or employment of each nominee;

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the class, series and number of our shares beneficially owned by each nominee;

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any other information relating to each nominee required by the SEC's proxy rules; and

•

the written consent of each nominee to be named in our proxy statement and to serve as director if elected.

        Our corporate secretary will deliver all notices to the nominating committee of our board of directors for review. After review, the nominating committee will make its recommendation regarding nominees to our board of directors. Defective nominations will be disregarded.

        For business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice of the proposed business in writing to our corporate secretary. To be timely, a stockholder's notice must be given, either by personal delivery or by certified mail, to our corporate secretary not less than 120 days nor more than 150 days before the first anniversary of the date of our proxy statement in connection with our last annual meeting of stockholders. Each notice must contain:

•

a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons for conducting the business at the annual meeting;

•

the name and address of the stockholder proposing the business as they appear on our stock transfer books;

•

a representation that the stockholder is a stockholder of record and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the annual meeting to bring the business proposed in the notice before the meeting;

•

the class, series and number of our shares beneficially owned by the stockholder; and

•

any material interest of the stockholder in the business.

        Business brought before an annual meeting without complying with these provisions will not be transacted.

        Although our bylaws do not give the board the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a special or annual

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meeting, our bylaws may have the effect of precluding the consideration of some business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may discourage or defer a potential acquiror from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.

Amendment of Our Certificate of Incorporation

        The affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all then-outstanding shares of our capital stock that are entitled to vote generally in the election of our directors, voting together as a single class, is required to amend, alter, change or repeal the provisions of our certificate of incorporation.

Amendment of Our Bylaws

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that our bylaws can be amended only by either our board of directors or the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all then-outstanding shares of our capital stock that are entitled to vote generally in the election of our directors, voting together as a single class.

Limitation of Liability and Indemnification

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that, to the full extent from time to time permitted by law, no director shall be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of any duty as a director. As required under current Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation currently provides that this waiver may not apply to liability:

•

for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;

•

for acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

•

under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (pertaining to certain prohibited act including unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful purchase or redemption of our capital stock); or

•

for any transaction from which the director derived any improper personal benefit.

        However, in the event the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of our directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended. Neither the amendment or repeal of this provision of our certificate of incorporation, nor the adoption of any provision of our certificate of incorporation which is inconsistent with this provision, shall eliminate or reduce the protection afforded by this provision with respect to any matter which occurred, or any suit or claim which, but for this provision would have accrued or arisen, prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.

        Our bylaws also provide that we shall, to the fullest extent from time to time permitted by law, indemnify our directors and officers against all liabilities and expenses in any suit or proceeding, arising out of their status as an officer or director or their activities in these capacities. Our bylaws also require us to indemnify any person who, at our request, is or was serving as a director, officer or trustee of another corporation, joint venture, employee benefit plan trust or other enterprise.

        The right to be indemnified includes the right of an officer or a director to be paid expenses in advance of the final disposition of any proceeding, if we receive an undertaking to repay such amount if it shall be determined that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified.

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        Our board of directors may take such action as it deems necessary to carry out these indemnification provisions, including adopting procedures for determining and enforcing indemnification rights and purchasing insurance policies. Our board of directors may also adopt bylaws, resolutions or contracts implementing indemnification arrangements as may be permitted by law. Neither the amendment or repeal of these indemnification provisions, nor the adoption of any provision of our certificate of incorporation inconsistent with these indemnification provisions, shall eliminate or reduce any rights to indemnification relating to their status or any activities prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.

        We believe these provisions will assist in attracting and retaining qualified individuals to serve as directors.

Listing

        Our shares of common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "BGS."

Transfer Agent and Registrar

        The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

        As used in this prospectus, debt securities means the debentures, notes, bonds and other evidences of indebtedness that we may issue from time to time. The debt securities may be either secured or unsecured and will either be our senior debt securities or our subordinated debt securities. The debt securities may be issued under an indenture to be entered into between us and one or more trustees named in the applicable prospectus supplement, a form of which is attached as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Any debt securities that we issue under this prospectus will be governed by the applicable indenture and a separate supplemental indenture setting out the particular terms of a series of debt securities.

        This section describes certain general terms and provisions that we expect would be applicable to our debt securities. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of that series in a supplement to this prospectus. The following description of debt securities will apply to the debt securities offered by this prospectus unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement for a particular series of debt securities may specify different or additional terms.

        The statements and descriptions in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement regarding provisions of the indentures and debt securities are summaries thereof, do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indentures (and any amendments or supplements we may enter into from time to time which are permitted under each indenture) and the debt securities, including the definitions therein of certain terms.

General

        Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be direct unsecured obligations of B&G Foods. The senior debt securities will rank equally with any of our other senior and unsubordinated debt. The subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to any senior indebtedness.

        Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, the applicable indenture will not limit the aggregate principal amount of debt securities that we may issue and will provide that we may issue debt

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securities from time to time at par or at a discount, in one or more series, with the same or various maturities. Unless indicated in a prospectus supplement, we may issue additional debt securities of a particular series without the consent of the holders of the debt securities of such series outstanding at the time of the issuance. Any such additional debt securities, together with all other outstanding debt securities of that series, will constitute a single series of debt securities under the applicable indenture.

        Each prospectus supplement will describe the terms relating to the specific series of debt securities being offered. These terms will include some or all of the following:

•

the title of debt securities and whether they are subordinated debt securities or senior debt securities;

•

any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;

•

the ability to issue additional debt securities of the same series;

•

the price or prices at which we will sell the debt securities;

•

whether the debt securities of the series will be guaranteed and the terms of any such guarantee;

•

the maturity date or dates of the debt securities;

•

the rate or rates of interest, if any, which may be fixed or variable, at which the debt securities will bear interest, or the method of determining such rate or rates, if any;

•

the date or dates from which any interest will accrue or the method by which such date or dates will be determined;

•

the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of any such deferral period, including the maximum consecutive period during which interest payment periods may be extended;

•

whether the amount of payments of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the debt securities may be determined with reference to any index, formula or other method, such as one or more currencies, commodities, equity indices or other indices, and the manner of determining the amount of such payments;

•

the dates on which we will pay interest on the debt securities and the regular record date for determining who is entitled to the interest payable on any interest payment date;

•

the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the debt securities will be payable, where any securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange or conversion, as applicable, and notices and demands may be delivered to or upon us pursuant to the indenture;

•

if we possess the option to do so, the periods within which and the prices at which we may redeem the debt securities, in whole or in part, pursuant to optional redemption provisions, and the other terms and conditions of any such provisions;

•

our obligation, if any, to redeem, repay or purchase debt securities by making periodic payments to a sinking fund or through an analogous provision or at the option of holders of the debt securities, and the period or periods within which and the price or prices at which we will redeem, repay or purchase the debt securities, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation, and the other terms and conditions of such obligation;

•

the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof;

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•

the portion, or methods of determining the portion, of the principal amount of the debt securities which we must pay upon the acceleration of the maturity of the debt securities in connection with an event of default (as described below), if other than the full principal amount;

•

the currency, currencies or currency unit in which we will pay the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the debt securities, if not U.S. dollars;

•

provisions, if any, granting special rights to holders of the debt securities upon the occurrence of specified events;

•

any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the events of default or our covenants with respect to the applicable series of debt securities, and whether or not such events of default or covenants are consistent with those contained in the applicable indenture;

•

any limitation on our ability to incur debt, redeem shares, sell our assets or other restrictions;

•

the application, if any, of the terms of the indenture relating to defeasance and covenant defeasance (which terms are described below) to the debt securities;

•

whether the subordination provisions summarized below or different subordination provisions will apply to the debt securities;

•

the terms, if any, upon which the holders may convert or exchange the debt securities into or for our common stock, preferred stock or other securities or property;

•

whether any of the debt securities will be issued in global form and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which global debt securities may be exchanged for certificated debt securities;

•

any change in the right of the trustee or the requisite holders of debt securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable because of an event of default;

•

the depository for global or certificated debt securities;

•

any special tax implications of the debt securities;

•

any trustees, authenticating or paying agents, transfer agents or registrars, or other agents with respect to the debt securities; and

•

any other terms of the debt securities not inconsistent with the provisions of the applicable indenture, as amended or supplemented.

        Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not be listed on any securities exchange.

        Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be issued in fully-registered form without coupons.

        Debt securities may be sold at a substantial discount below their stated principal amount or bearing no interest or interest at a rate which at the time of issuance is below market rates. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the federal income tax consequences and special considerations applicable to any such debt securities. The debt securities may also be issued as indexed securities or securities denominated in foreign currencies, currency units or composite currencies, as described in more detail in the prospectus supplement relating to any of the particular debt securities.

Guarantees

        Debt securities may be guaranteed by certain of our domestic subsidiaries if so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any guarantees, including, among other things, the method for determining the identity of the guarantors

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and the conditions under which guarantees will be added or released. Any guarantees will be joint and several obligations of the guarantors. The obligations of each guarantor under its guarantee will be limited as necessary to prevent that guarantee from constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law.

Subordination

        The prospectus supplement relating to any offering of subordinated debt securities will describe the specific subordination provisions. However, unless otherwise noted in the prospectus supplement, subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to any existing senior indebtedness.

        Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, under the applicable indenture, "senior indebtedness" means all amounts due on obligations in connection with any of the following, whether outstanding at the date of execution of the applicable indenture, or thereafter incurred or created:

•

the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest due on our indebtedness for borrowed money and indebtedness evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof);

•

all of our capital lease obligations or attributable debt (as will be defined in the applicable indenture) in respect of sale and leaseback transactions;

•

all obligations representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property or services, which purchase price is due more than six months after the date of placing such property in service or taking delivery and title thereto, except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable or any similar obligation to trade creditors;

•

all of our obligations in respect of interest rate swap agreements (whether from fixed to floating or from floating to fixed), interest rate cap agreements and interest rate collar agreements; other agreements or arrangements designed to manage interest rates or interest rate risk; and other agreements or arrangements designed to protect against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or commodity prices;

•

all obligations of the types referred to above of other persons for the payment of which we are responsible or liable as obligor, guarantor or otherwise; and

•

all obligations of the types referred to above of other persons secured by any lien on any property or asset of ours (whether or not such obligation is assumed by us).

        However, senior indebtedness does not include:

•

any indebtedness which expressly provides that such indebtedness shall not be senior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities, or that such indebtedness shall be subordinated to any other of our indebtedness, unless such indebtedness expressly provides that such indebtedness shall be senior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities;

•

any of our obligations to our subsidiaries or of a subsidiary guarantor to us or any other of our other subsidiaries;

•

any liability for federal, state, local or other taxes owed or owing by us or any subsidiary guarantor;

•

any accounts payable or other liability to trade creditors arising in the ordinary course of business (including guarantees thereof or instruments evidencing such liabilities);

•

any obligations with respect to any capital stock;

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•

any indebtedness incurred in violation of the applicable indenture, provided that indebtedness under our credit facilities will not cease to be senior indebtedness under this bullet point if the lenders of such indebtedness obtained an officer's certificate as of the date of incurrence of such indebtedness to the effect that such indebtedness was permitted to be incurred by the indenture; and

•

any of our indebtedness in respect of the subordinated debt securities.

        Senior indebtedness shall continue to be senior indebtedness and be entitled to the benefits of the subordination provisions irrespective of any amendment, modification or waiver of any term of such senior indebtedness.

        Unless otherwise noted in an accompanying prospectus supplement, if we default in the payment of any principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any senior indebtedness when it becomes due and payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by declaration or otherwise, then, unless and until such default is cured or waived or ceases to exist, we will make no direct or indirect payment (in cash, property, securities, by set-off or otherwise) in respect of the principal of or interest on the subordinated debt securities or in respect of any redemption, retirement, purchase or other requisition of any of the subordinated debt securities.

        In the event of the acceleration of the maturity of any subordinated debt securities, the holders of all senior debt securities outstanding at the time of such acceleration, subject to any security interest, will first be entitled to receive payment in full of all amounts due on the senior debt securities before the holders of the subordinated debt securities will be entitled to receive any payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest on the subordinated debt securities.

        If any of the following events occurs, we will pay in full all senior indebtedness before we make any payment or distribution under the subordinated debt securities, whether in cash, securities or other property, to any holder of subordinated debt securities:

•

any dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or reorganization of B&G Foods, whether voluntary or involuntary or in bankruptcy, insolvency or receivership;

•

any general assignment by us for the benefit of creditors; or

•

any other marshaling of our assets or liabilities.

        In such event, any payment or distribution under the subordinated debt securities, whether in cash, securities or other property, which would otherwise (but for the subordination provisions) be payable or deliverable in respect of the subordinated debt securities, will be paid or delivered directly to the holders of senior indebtedness in accordance with the priorities then existing among such holders until all senior indebtedness has been paid in full. If any payment or distribution under the subordinated debt securities is received by the trustee of any subordinated debt securities in contravention of any of the terms of the applicable indenture and before all the senior indebtedness has been paid in full, such payment or distribution will be received in trust for the benefit of, and paid over or delivered and transferred to, the holders of the senior indebtedness at the time outstanding in accordance with the priorities then existing among such holders for application to the payment of all senior indebtedness remaining unpaid to the extent necessary to pay all such senior indebtedness in full.

        Unless otherwise indicated in an applicable prospectus supplement, the applicable indenture will not limit the issuance of additional senior indebtedness.

        Unless otherwise indicated in an applicable prospectus supplement, if any series of subordinated debt securities is guaranteed by certain of our subsidiaries, then the guarantee will be subordinated to the senior indebtedness of such guarantor to the same extent as the subordinated debt securities are subordinated to the senior indebtedness.

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Consolidation, Merger, Sale of Assets and Other Transactions

        Unless an accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, we may not (1) merge with or into or consolidate with another corporation or sell, assign, transfer, lease or convey all or substantially all of our properties and assets to, any other corporation other than a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of ours, and (2) no corporation may merge with or into or consolidate with us or, except for any direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of ours, sell, assign, transfer, lease or convey all or substantially all of its properties and assets to us, unless:

•

we are the surviving corporation or the corporation formed by or surviving such merger or consolidation or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease or conveyance has been made, if other than us, has expressly assumed by supplemental indenture all of our obligations under the applicable indenture;

•

immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no default or event of default has occurred and is continuing;

•

we or the corporation formed by or surviving such merger or consolidation or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease or conveyance has been made (if other than us) would, on the date of such transaction after giving pro forma effect to the transaction and any related financing transactions as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period, either:

•

be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional indebtedness pursuant to the fixed charge coverage ratio test set forth in the applicable indenture; or

•

have a fixed charge coverage ratio that is equal to or greater than our fixed charge coverage ratio immediately prior to the consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition; and

•

we deliver to the trustee an officers' certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that the supplemental indenture complies with the applicable indenture.

Events of Default, Notice and Waiver

        Unless an accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, the following shall constitute "events of default" under the applicable indenture with respect to each series of debt securities:

•

we default for 30 consecutive days in the payment when due of interest on the debt securities;

•

we default in the payment when due (at maturity, upon redemption or otherwise) of the principal of, or premium, if any, on the debt securities;

•

our failure to observe or perform any other of our covenants or agreements with respect to such debt securities for 60 days after we receive notice of such failure;

•

except as permitted by the applicable indenture, if debt securities are guaranteed, any guarantee shall be held in any judicial proceeding to be unenforceable or invalid or shall cease for any reason to be in full force and effect or any guarantor, or any person acting on behalf of any guarantor, shall deny, or disaffirm its obligations under its guarantee;

•

certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of B&G Foods; or

•

any other event of default provided with respect to securities of that series.

        Unless an accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, if an event of default with respect to any debt securities of any series outstanding under any indenture shall occur and be continuing, the trustee under such indenture or the holders of at least 25% (or at least 10%, in respect

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of a remedy (other than acceleration) for certain events of default relating to the payment of dividends) in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of that series outstanding may declare, by notice as provided in the applicable indenture, the principal amount (or such lesser amount as may be provided for in the debt securities of that series) of all the debt securities of that series outstanding to be due and payable immediately; provided that, in the case of an event of default involving certain events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, acceleration is automatic; and, provided further, that after such acceleration, but before a judgment or decree based on acceleration, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, under certain circumstances, rescind and annul such acceleration if all events of default, other than the nonpayment of accelerated principal, have been cured or waived. Upon the acceleration of the maturity of original issue discount securities, an amount less than the principal amount thereof will become due and payable. Reference is made to the prospectus supplement relating to any original issue discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of maturity thereof.

        Any past default under an indenture with respect to debt securities of any series, and any event of default arising therefrom, may be waived by the holders of a majority in principal amount of all debt securities of such series outstanding under such indenture, except in the case of (1) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any debt securities of such series or (2) certain events of default relating to the payment of dividends.

        The trustee is required within 90 days after the occurrence of a default (which is known to the trustee and is continuing), with respect to the debt securities of any series (without regard to any grace period or notice requirements), to give to the holders of the debt securities of such series notice of such default.

        The trustee, subject to its duties during default to act with the required standard of care, may require indemnification satisfactory to it by the holders of the debt securities of any series with respect to which a default has occurred before proceeding to exercise any right or power under the applicable indenture at the request of the holders of the debt securities of such series. Subject to such right of indemnification and to certain other limitations, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series under any indenture may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of such series, provided that such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with the applicable indenture and the trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.

        No holder of a debt security of any series may institute any action against us under any indenture (except actions for payment of overdue principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on such debt security or for the conversion or exchange of such debt security in accordance with its terms) unless (1) the holder has given to the trustee written notice of an event of default and of the continuance thereof with respect to the debt securities of such series specifying an event of default, as required under the applicable indenture, (2) the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of that series then outstanding under such indenture shall have requested the trustee to institute such action and offered to the trustee indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request; (3) the trustee shall not have instituted such action within 60 days of such request and (4) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the trustee during such 60-day period by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of that series.

        We will be required to furnish annually to the trustee statements as to our compliance with all conditions and covenants under each indenture.

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Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance

        We may discharge or defease our obligations under each indenture as set forth below, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement.

        We or, if applicable, any guarantor may discharge certain obligations to holders of any series of debt securities issued under any indenture which have not already been delivered to the trustee for cancellation by irrevocably depositing with the trustee money in an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such debt securities not previously delivered to the trustee for cancellation, for principal and any premium and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of debt securities which have become due and payable) or to the stated maturity or redemption date, as the case may be, and we or, if applicable, any guarantor, have paid all other sums payable under the applicable indenture.

        If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we, or, if applicable, the guarantors, may elect either (1) to defease and be discharged from any and all obligations with respect to the debt securities of or within any series and all obligations with respect to guarantees in the case of guarantors (except in all cases as otherwise provided in the relevant indenture) ("legal defeasance") or (2) to be released from our obligations with respect to certain covenants applicable to the debt securities of or within any series ("covenant defeasance"), upon the deposit with the relevant indenture trustee, in trust for such purpose, of money and/or government obligations which through the payment of principal and interest in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on such debt securities to maturity or redemption, as the case may be, and any mandatory sinking fund or analogous payments thereon. As a condition to legal defeasance or covenant defeasance, we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of such debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance had not occurred. Such opinion of counsel, in the case of legal defeasance under clause (i) above, must refer to and be based upon a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or a change in applicable federal income tax law occurring after the date of the relevant indenture. In addition, in the case of either legal defeasance or covenant defeasance, we shall have delivered to the trustee (1) if applicable, an officer's certificate to the effect that the relevant debt securities exchange(s) have informed us that neither such debt securities nor any other debt securities of the same series, if then listed on any securities exchange, will be delisted as a result of such deposit and (2) an officer's certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance have been complied with.

        We may exercise our legal defeasance option with respect to such debt securities notwithstanding our prior exercise of our covenant defeasance option.

Modification and Waiver

        Under the applicable indenture, unless an accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, we and the applicable trustee may supplement the indenture for certain purposes which would not materially adversely affect the interests or rights of the holders of debt securities of a series without the consent of those holders. We and the applicable trustee may also modify the indenture or any supplemental indenture in a manner that affects the interests or rights of the holders of debt securities with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each affected series issued under the indenture. However, the indenture will require the consent of each holder of debt securities that would be affected by any modification which would:

•

reduce the principal amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

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•

reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or, except as provided in any prospectus supplement, alter or waive any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of the debt securities;

•

reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest, including default interest, on any debt security;

•

waive a default or event of default in the payment of principal of or interest or premium, if any, on, the debt securities (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);

•

make any debt security payable in money other than that stated in the debt securities;

•

make any change in the provisions of the applicable indenture relating to waivers of past defaults or the rights of holders of the debt securities to receive payments of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the debt securities;

•

waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security (except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement);

•

except in connection with an offer by us to purchase all debt securities, (1) waive certain events of default relating to the payment of dividends or (2) amend certain covenants relating to the payment of dividends and the purchase or redemption of certain equity interests;

•

release any applicable guarantor from any of its obligations under its guarantee or the indenture, except in accordance with the indenture;

•

make any change to the subordination or ranking provisions of the indenture or the related definitions that adversely affect the rights of any holder; or

•

make any change in the preceding amendment and waiver provisions.

        The indenture will permit the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series issued under the indenture which is affected by the modification or amendment to waive our compliance with certain covenants contained in the indenture.

Payment and Paying Agents

        Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, payment of interest on a debt security on any interest payment date will be made to the person in whose name a debt security is registered at the close of business on the applicable record date.

        Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, principal, interest and premium on the debt securities of a particular series will be payable at the office of such paying agent or paying agents as we may designate for such purpose from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at our option, payment of any interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the person entitled thereto as such address appears in the security register.

        Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, a paying agent designated by us will act as paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. All paying agents initially designated by us for the debt securities of a particular series will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may at any time designate additional paying agents or rescind the designation of any paying agent or approve a change in the office through which any paying agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.

        All moneys paid by us to a paying agent for the payment of the principal, interest or premium on any debt security which remain unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, interest or premium has become due and payable will be repaid to us upon request, and the holder of such debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.

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Denominations, Registrations and Transfer

        Unless an accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, debt securities will be represented by one or more global certificates registered in the name of a nominee for The Depository Trust Company, or DTC. In such case, each holder's beneficial interest in the global securities will be shown on the records of DTC and transfers of beneficial interests will only be effected through DTC's records.

        A holder of debt securities may only exchange a beneficial interest in a global security for certificated securities registered in the holder's name if:

•

we deliver to the trustee notice from DTC that it is unwilling or unable to continue to act as depository or that it is no longer a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) and, in either case, a successor depositary is not appointed by us within 120 days after the date of such notice from DTC;

•

we in our sole discretion determine that the debt securities (in whole but not in part) should be exchanged for definitive debt securities and deliver a written notice to such effect to the trustee; or

•

there has occurred and is continuing a default or event of default with respect to the debt securities.

        If debt securities are issued in certificated form, they will only be issued in the minimum denomination specified in the accompanying prospectus supplement and integral multiples of such denomination. Transfers and exchanges of such debt securities will only be permitted in such minimum denomination. Transfers of debt securities in certificated form may be registered at the trustee's corporate office or at the offices of any paying agent or trustee appointed by us under the applicable indenture. Exchanges of debt securities for an equal aggregate principal amount of debt securities in different denominations may also be made at such locations.

Governing Law

        Each indenture and applicable debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to its principles of conflicts of laws.

Trustee

        The trustee under each indenture will be set forth in any applicable prospectus supplement.

Conversion or Exchange Rights

        The prospectus supplement will describe the terms, if any, on which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock, preferred stock or other debt securities. These terms will include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. These provisions may allow or require the number of shares of our common stock or other securities to be received by the holders of such series of debt securities to be adjusted.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

        The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus and the related warrant agreements and warrant certificates. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If

17

we so indicate in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any warrants offered under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference into the registration statement which includes this prospectus.

General

        We may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities.

        We will evidence each series of warrants by warrant certificates that we may issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into the warrant agreement with a warrant agent. Each warrant agent may be a bank that we select which has its principal office in the United States and a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. We will indicate the name and address of any such warrant agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of warrants.

        We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of warrants, including:

•

the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered;

•

the currency for which the warrants may be purchased, if not U.S. dollars;

•

if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount of such security;

•

if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable;

•

in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price at, and currency, if not U.S. dollars, in which, this principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon such exercise;

•

in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, purchasable upon the exercise of one warrant and the price at which these shares may be purchased upon such exercise;

•

the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreement and the warrants;

•

the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;

•

any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants;

•

the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire;

•

the manner in which the warrant agreement and warrants may be modified;

•

federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising the warrants;

•

the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; and

•

any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants.

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        Before exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon such exercise, including:

•

in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the right to receive payments of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities purchasable upon exercise or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture; or

•

in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the right to receive dividends, if any, or, payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise voting rights, if any.

Exercise of Warrants

        Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase the securities that we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement at the exercise price that we describe in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.

        Holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants by delivering the warrant certificate representing the warrants to be exercised together with specified information, and paying the required amount to the warrant agent in immediately available funds, as provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. We will set forth on the reverse side of the warrant certificate and in the applicable prospectus supplement the information that the holder of the warrant will be required to deliver to the warrant agent.

        Upon receipt of the required payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will issue and deliver the securities purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, then we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining amount of warrants. If we so indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may surrender securities as all or part of the exercise price for warrants.

Enforceability of Rights by Holders of Warrants

        Any warrant agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable warrant agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any warrant. A single bank or trust company may act as warrant agent for more than one issue of warrants. A warrant agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable warrant agreement or warrant, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a warrant may, without the consent of the related warrant agent or the holder of any other warrant, enforce by appropriate legal action its right to exercise, and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of, its warrants.

        If a warrant holder exercises only part of the warrants represented by a single certificate, the warrant agent will issue a new warrant certificate for any warrants not exercised. Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, no fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of warrants, but we will pay the cash value of any fractional shares otherwise issuable.

        The exercise price and the number of shares of common stock for which each warrant can be exercised will be adjusted upon the occurrence of events described in the warrant agreement, including the issuance of a common stock dividend or a combination, subdivision or reclassification of common stock.

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        Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, no adjustment will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in the exercise price. From time to time, we may reduce the exercise price as may be provided in the warrant agreement.

        Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, if we enter into any consolidation, merger, or sale or conveyance of our property as an entirety, the holder of each outstanding warrant will have the right to acquire the kind and amount of shares, other securities, property or cash receivable by a holder of the number of shares of common stock into which the warrants were exercisable immediately prior to the occurrence of the event.

Modification of the Warrant Agreement

        The warrant agreements may permit us and the warrant agent, if any, without the consent of the warrant holders, to supplement or amend the agreement in the following circumstances:

•

to cure any ambiguity;

•

to correct or supplement any provision which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions; or

•

to add new provisions regarding matters or questions that we and the warrant agent may deem necessary or desirable and which do not adversely affect the interests of the warrant holders.

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

        We may issue units comprised of one or more of the other securities described in this prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date or occurrence.

        The applicable prospectus supplement may describe:

•

the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;

•

any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and

•

whether the units will be issued in fully-registered or global form.

        The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any units. The preceding description and any description of units in the applicable prospectus supplement does not purport to be complete and is subject to and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the unit agreement and, if applicable, collateral arrangements and depository arrangements relating to such units.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

        We may sell the securities described in this prospectus through underwriters or dealers, through agents, or directly to one or more purchasers or through a combination of these methods. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including:

•

the name or names of any underwriters and, if required, any dealers or agents;

•

the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds we will receive from the sale;

•

any underwriting discounts and other items constituting underwriters' compensation;

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•

any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and

•

any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed.

        We may distribute the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at:

•

a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;

•

market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

•

varying prices determined at the time of sale related to such prevailing market prices; or

•

negotiated prices.

        Offerings of our equity securities pursuant to this prospectus may also be made into an existing trading market for such securities in transactions at other than a fixed price, either:

•

on or through the facilities of any national securities exchange or quotation service on which such securities may be listed or quoted at the time of sale; or

•

to or through a market maker otherwise than on such exchanges.

Such at-the-market offerings will be conducted by underwriters acting as our principal or agent, who may also be third-party sellers of securities as described above.

        Only underwriters named in the prospectus supplement will be underwriters of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement. If we use underwriters in the sale, they will acquire the securities for their own account and may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. We may offer the securities to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or by underwriters without a syndicate. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may change from time to time.

        We may sell the securities directly. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. We may also sell the securities through agents we designate from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of securities and we will describe any commissions we will pay the agent in the prospectus supplement.

        We may authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in the prospectus supplement.

        In addition, we may sell some or all of the securities covered by this prospectus through:

•

purchases by a dealer, as principal, who may then resell those securities to the public for its account at varying prices determined by the dealer at the time of resale;

•

block trades in which a dealer will attempt to sell as agent, but may position or resell a portion of the block, as principal, in order to facilitate the transaction; or

•

ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which a broker-dealer solicits purchasers.

We will include in the applicable prospectus supplement the names of any dealers and the terms of the transaction.

        In connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters, dealers or agents may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the securities for whom they act as agents in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and

21

those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities, and any institutional investors or others that purchase securities directly and then resell the securities, may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the securities by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act).

        We may provide agents and underwriters with indemnification against particular civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution with respect to payments that the agents or underwriters may make with respect to such liabilities. Agents and underwriters may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.

        In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties (including the writing of options), or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with such a transaction, the third parties may, pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement or in a post-effective amendment.

        Offered securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreements, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

        To facilitate an offering of a series of securities, persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the market price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involves the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than have been sold to them by us. In those circumstances, such persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by purchasing in the open market or by exercising the over-allotment option granted to those persons. In addition, those persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to underwriters or dealers participating in any such offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Such transactions, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time. We make no representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above, if implemented, may have on the price of our securities.

        Some or all of the securities that we offer through this prospectus may be new issues of securities with no established trading market. Any underwriters to whom we sell our securities for public offering and sale may make a market in those securities, but they will not be obligated to do so and they may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. Accordingly, we cannot assure you of the liquidity of, or continued trading markets for, any securities that we offer.

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

        Our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the five most recently completed fiscal years and any required interim periods will each be specified in a prospectus supplement or in a document we file with the SEC and incorporate by reference pertaining to the issuance, if any, by us of debt securities in the future.

LEGAL MATTERS

        In connection with particular offerings of our securities in the future, unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the validity of those securities will be passed upon for us by Dechert LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. If the securities are being distributed in an underwritten offering, certain legal matters will be passed upon for the underwriters by counsel identified in the related prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

        The consolidated financial statements and schedule of B&G Foods, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 29, 2012 and December 31, 2011, and for the years ended December 29, 2012, December 31, 2011 and January 1, 2011, and management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 29, 2012 have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

        We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. In accordance with the Exchange Act, we file periodic reports, proxy statements and information statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

        We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities offered hereby. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement. For further information with respect to our company and the securities offered hereby, reference is made to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed as a part of the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus concerning the contents of any contract or any other document are not necessarily complete; reference is made in each instance to the copy of such contract or any other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. Each such statement is qualified in all respects by such reference to such exhibit.

        You may read and copy the registration statement, the related exhibits and the reports, proxy statements and other information we file with the SEC at the SEC's public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. You can also request copies of those documents, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by writing to the SEC. Please call the SEC at 1.800.SEC.0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference rooms. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file with the SEC. B&G Foods' SEC filings are also available to the public, free of charge, from our website at www.bgfoods.com.

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        We will furnish without charge to each person to whom a copy of this prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of any and all of these filings (except exhibits, unless they are specifically incorporated by reference into this prospectus). Please direct any requests for copies to:

B&G Foods, Inc.
Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Telephone: 973.401.6500
Fax: 973.630.6550

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

        The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference in this prospectus the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus. We incorporate by reference in this prospectus the information contained in the following documents (other than any portions of the respective filings that were furnished under applicable SEC rules rather than filed):

•

our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2012 filed on February 26, 2013;

•

our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 30, 2013 filed on April 25, 2013;

•

our current reports on Form 8-K filed on March 4, 2013 and May 7, 2013;

•

our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed on March 28, 2013; and

•

the description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (Registration No. 001-32316) filed on May 16, 2007, as amended by Item 5.03 of our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 13, 2010, and including any future amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

        We are also incorporating by reference all other reports that we will file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than any portions of the respective filings that will be furnished under applicable SEC rules rather than filed) after the date of this prospectus and prior to the completion of the offering of any securities covered by this prospectus. The information that we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and prior to the completion of the offering of any securities covered by this prospectus will update and supersede the information contained in this prospectus and incorporated filings. You will be deemed to have notice of all information incorporated by reference in this prospectus as if that information was included in this prospectus.

        You may obtain copies of these documents from us, free of cost, by contacting us at the address or telephone number provided in "Where You Can Find More Information" immediately above.

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14.    Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

        The following table sets forth the estimated fees and expenses of the sale and distribution of the securities being registered under this registration statement, other than any underwriting discounts and commissions, all of which shall be borne by B&G Foods.

	Amount
SEC Registration Fee	$	*
Accounting Fees and Expenses		**
Legal Fees and Expenses		**
Transfer Agent and Registrar Fees and Expenses		**
Printing and Engraving Expenses		**
Rating Agency Fees		**
Trustees Fees and Expenses		**
Miscellaneous Fees and Expenses		**
Total	$	**

*

Pursuant to SEC Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the SEC registration fee will be paid at the time of any particular offering of securities under the registration statement, and is therefore not currently determinable.

**

These fees and expenses depend on the types of securities offered and the number of offerings and, accordingly, cannot be estimated at this time.

Item 15.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers

        Under Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, B&G Foods may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of B&G Foods) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of B&G Foods, or is or was serving at the request of B&G Foods as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of B&G Foods and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person's conduct was unlawful.

        In addition, under Section 145, B&G Foods may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of B&G Foods to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of B&G Foods, or is or was serving at the request of B&G Foods as a director, officer, employee or agent of B&G Foods, or is or was serving at the request of B&G Foods as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of B&G Foods and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to B&G Foods unless and only to the

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extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

        Section 145 also provides that to the extent that a present or former director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above, or defense of any claim issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorney's fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.

        Furthermore, Section 145 provides that nothing in the above-described provisions shall be deemed exclusive of any other rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses to which any person may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

        Under Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, B&G Foods may in its certificate of incorporation eliminate or limit the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director except for liability: (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (pertaining to certain prohibited acts including unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful purchase or redemption of the corporation's capital stock); or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that our directors shall be entitled to the benefits of all limitations on the liability of directors generally permissible under Delaware law.

        In addition, our bylaws provide for the indemnification of our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law as in effect from time to time and by our certificate of incorporation.

        As permitted by our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, we have purchased and we maintain directors' and officers' liability insurance policies to insure our directors and officers against certain liabilities.

Item 16.    Exhibits

        The Exhibits to this registration statement are listed in the Exhibits Index beginning on page II-7, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 17.    Undertakings

        (a)   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:



(i)

To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;



(ii)

To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed

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with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii)

To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2)

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.



(3)

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.



(4)

That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:



(i)

Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and



(ii)

Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.



(5)

That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the

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following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i)

Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;



(ii)

Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;



(iii)

The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and



(iv)

Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

        (b)   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

        (c)   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than a payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

II-4

SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Parsippany, New Jersey, on the 20^th day of May, 2013.

B&G FOODS, INC.
By:	/s/ David L. Wenner
	David L. Wenner President and Chief Executive Officer
B&G FOODS NORTH AMERICA, INC. B&G FOODS SNACKS, INC. WILLIAM UNDERWOOD COMPANY
By:	/s/ David L. Wenner
	David L. Wenner President and Chief Executive Officer

SIGNATURES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY

        KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints David L. Wenner, Robert C. Cantwell and Scott E. Lerner, and each of them, as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and sign any registration statement (or amendment thereto) for the same offering covered by the Registration Statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

II-5

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

B&G FOODS, INC.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ David L. Wenner David L. Wenner	President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)	May 20, 2013
/s/ Robert C. Cantwell Robert C. Cantwell	Executive Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Director (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)	May 20, 2013
/s/ Stephen C. Sherrill Stephen C. Sherrill	Chairman of the Board of Directors	May 20, 2013
/s/ Cynthia T. Jamison Cynthia T. Jamison	Director	May 20, 2013
/s/ Charles F. Marcy Charles F. Marcy	Director	May 20, 2013
/s/ Dennis M. Mullen Dennis M. Mullen	Director	May 20, 2013
/s/ Cheryl M. Palmer Cheryl M. Palmer	Director	May 20, 2013
/s/ Alfred Poe Alfred Poe	Director	May 20, 2013

B&G FOODS NORTH AMERICA, INC.
B&G FOODS SNACKS, INC.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ David L. Wenner David L. Wenner	President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)	May 20, 2013
/s/ Robert C. Cantwell Robert C. Cantwell	Executive Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Director (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)	May 20, 2013

II-6

WILLIAM UNDERWOOD COMPANY

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ DAVID L. WENNER David L. Wenner	President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee (Principal Executive Officer)	May 20, 2013
/s/ ROBERT C. CANTWELL Robert C. Cantwell	Executive Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Trustee (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)	May 20, 2013
/s/ SCOTT E. LERNER Scott E. Lerner	Trustee	May 20, 2013

II-7

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.			Description
	1.1	*	Form of underwriting agreement with respect to common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and/or units.
	4.1	**	Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of B&G Foods, Inc. (Filed as Exhibit 3.1 to B&G Foods' Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 13, 2010, and incorporated by reference herein).
	4.2	**	Bylaws of B&G Foods, Inc., as amended and restated through February 27, 2013 (Filed as Exhibit 3.1to B&G Foods' Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 4, 2013, and incorporated by reference herein).
	4.3	**	Form of stock certificate for common stock (Filed as Exhibit 4.1 to B&G Foods' Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 13, 2010, and incorporated by reference herein).
	4.4	*	Certificate of designations for preferred stock, if any.
	4.5	+	Form of new indenture, if any, between B&G Foods, Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A..
	4.6	*	Form of new debt securities, if any.
	4.7	*	Form of warrant agreement and warrant certificate, if any.
	4.8	*	Form of unit agreement and unit certificate, if any.
	5.1	+	Opinion of Dechert LLP.
	12.1	+	Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.
	23.1	+	Consent of Dechert LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
	23.2	+	Consent of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm.
	24.1	+	Power of Attorney (included on signature page).
	25.1	+	Statement of Eligibility of The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

*

To the extent applicable, to be filed by an amendment or as an exhibit to a document filed under the Securities Exchange Act and incorporated by reference herein.

**

Incorporated herein by reference to the indicated filing.

+

Filed herewith.

II-8

EX-4.5

Exhibit 4.5

B&G Foods, Inc.

INDENTURE

Dated as of                   , 20

The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.,

as Trustee

TABLE OF CONTENTS

		Page
ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE		1
Section 1.1.	Definitions	1
Section 1.2.	Other Definitions	7
Section 1.3.	Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act	7
Section 1.4.	Rules of Construction	8
ARTICLE II. THE SECURITIES		8
Section 2.1.	Issuable in Series	8
Section 2.2.	Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities	9
Section 2.3.	Execution and Authentication	11
Section 2.4.	Registrar and Paying Agent	12
Section 2.5.	Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust	12
Section 2.6.	Securityholder Lists	13
Section 2.7.	Transfer and Exchange	13
Section 2.8.	Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities	13
Section 2.9.	Outstanding Securities	14
Section 2.10.	Treasury Securities	15
Section 2.11.	Temporary Securities	15
Section 2.12.	Cancellation	15
Section 2.13.	Defaulted Interest	15
Section 2.14.	Global Securities	16
Section 2.15.	CUSIP Numbers	17
ARTICLE III. REDEMPTION		17
Section 3.1.	Notice to Trustee	17
Section 3.2.	Selection of Securities to be Redeemed or Repurchased	17
Section 3.3.	Notice of Redemption	18
Section 3.4.	Effect of Notice of Redemption	18
Section 3.5.	Deposit of Redemption Price	19
Section 3.6.	Securities Redeemed in Part	19
ARTICLE IV. COVENANTS		19
Section 4.1.	Payment of Principal and Interest	19
Section 4.2.	Maintenance of Office or Agency	19
Section 4.3.	SEC Reports	20
Section 4.4.	Compliance Certificate	21
Section 4.5.	Taxes	21
Section 4.6.	Stay, Extension and Usury Laws	21
Section 4.7.	Corporate Existence	22
ARTICLE V. SUCCESSORS		22
Section 5.1.	Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets	22
Section 5.2.	Successor Corporation Substituted	23
ARTICLE VI. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES		23
Section 6.1.	Events of Default	23
Section 6.2.	Acceleration	25
Section 6.3.	Other Remedies	26

i

Section 6.4.	Waiver of Past Defaults	26
Section 6.5.	Control by Majority	26
Section 6.6.	Limitation on Suits	26
Section 6.7.	Rights of Holders of Securities to Receive Payment	27
Section 6.8.	Collection Suit by Trustee	27
Section 6.9.	Trustee May File Proofs of Claim	27
Section 6.10.	Priorities	28
Section 6.11.	Undertaking for Costs	28
ARTICLE VII. TRUSTEE		29
Section 7.1.	Duties of Trustee	29
Section 7.2.	Rights of Trustee	30
Section 7.3.	Individual Rights of Trustee	31
Section 7.4.	Trustee’s Disclaimer	31
Section 7.5.	Notice of Defaults	32
Section 7.6.	Reports by Trustee to Holders	32
Section 7.7.	Compensation and Indemnity	32
Section 7.8.	Replacement of Trustee	33
Section 7.9.	Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.	34
Section 7.10.	Eligibility; Disqualification	34
Section 7.11.	Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company	34
ARTICLE VIII. LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE		34
Section 8.1.	Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance	34
Section 8.2.	Legal Defeasance and Discharge	34
Section 8.3.	Covenant Defeasance	35
Section 8.4.	Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance	36
Section 8.5.	Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions	37
Section 8.6.	Repayment to Company	37
Section 8.7.	Reinstatement	38
ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS		38
Section 9.1.	Without Consent of Holders	38
Section 9.2.	With Consent of Holders	39
Section 9.3.	Limitations	40
Section 9.4.	Compliance with Trust Indenture Act	40
Section 9.5.	Revocation and Effect of Consents	40
Section 9.6.	Notation on or Exchange of Securities	41
Section 9.7.	Trustee Protected	41
ARTICLE X. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE		41
Section 10.1.	Satisfaction and Discharge	41
Section 10.2.	Application of Trust Money	42
ARTICLE XI. MISCELLANEOUS		43
Section 11.1.	Trust Indenture Act Controls	43
Section 11.2.	Notices	43
Section 11.3.	Communication by Holders with Other Holders	44
Section 11.4.	Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent	44
Section 11.5.	Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion	44

ii

Section 11.6.	Rules by Trustee and Agents	45
Section 11.7.	Legal Holidays	45
Section 11.8.	No Recourse Against Others	45
Section 11.9.	Counterparts	45
Section 11.10.	Governing Laws	45
Section 11.11.	No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements	45
Section 11.12.	Successors	46
Section 11.13.	Severability	46
Section 11.14.	Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.	46
Section 11.15.	Securities in a Foreign Currency or in ECU	46
Section 11.16.	Judgment Currency	47
Section 11.17.	Waiver of Jury Trial	47
Section 11.18.	Force Majeure	47
ARTICLE XII. SINKING FUNDS		48
Section 12.1.	Applicability of Article	48
Section 12.2.	Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities	48
Section 12.3.	Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund	49

iii

B&G FOODS, INC.

Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and
Indenture, dated as of            , 20

§ 310(a)(1)	7.10
(a)(2)	7.10
(a)(3)	Not Applicable
(a)(4)	Not Applicable
(a)(5)	7.10
(b)	7.10
(c)	Not Applicable
§ 311(a)	7.11
(b)	7.11
(c)	Not Applicable
§ 312(a)	2.6
(b)	11.3
(c)	11.3
§ 313(a)	7.6
(b)(1)	7.6
(b)(2)	7.6
(c)(1)	7.6
(d)	7.6
§ 314(a)	4.3, 11.5
(b)	Not Applicable
(c)(1)	11.4
(c)(2)	11.4
(c)(3)	Not Applicable
(d)	Not Applicable
(e)	11.5
(f)	Not Applicable
§ 315(a)	7.1
(b)	7.5
(c)	7.1
(d)	7.1
(e)	6.11
§ 316(a)	2.10
(a)(1)(A)	6.5
(a)(1)(B)	6.4
(b)	6.7
§ 317(a)(1)	6.8
(a)(2)	6.9
(b)	2.5
§ 318(a)	11.1

Note:  This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.

iv

Indenture dated as of             , 20   between B&G Foods, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Company”), and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (“Trustee”).

Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities issued under this Indenture.

ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Section 1.1.Definitions.

“Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on Holders specified herein or therein and which are owing to such Holders.

“Affiliate” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified person.  For purposes of this definition, “control”, as used with respect to any person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise; provided that beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the Voting Stock of a Person will be deemed to be control.  For purposes of this definition, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with” have correlative meanings.

“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent.

“Attributable Debt” in respect of a sale and leaseback transaction means, at the time of determination, the present value of the obligation of the lessee for net rental payments during the remaining term of the lease included in such sale and leaseback transaction including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended.  Such present value shall be calculated using a discount rate equal to the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, determined in accordance with GAAP; provided, however, that if such sale and leaseback transaction results in a Capital Lease Obligation, the amount of Indebtedness represented thereby will be determined in accordance with the definition of “Capital Lease Obligation.”

“Authorized Newspaper” means a newspaper in an official language of the country of publication customarily published at least once a day for at least five days in each calendar week and of general circulation in the place in connection with which the term is used.  If it shall be impractical in the opinion of the Trustee to make any publication of any notice required hereby in an Authorized Newspaper, any publication or other notice in lieu thereof that is made or given by the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient publication of such notice.

“Bearer” means anyone in possession from time to time of a Bearer Security.

“Bearer Security” means any Security, including any interest coupon appertaining thereto, that does not provide for the identification of the Holder thereof.

“Board of Directors” means:

(1)with respect to a corporation, the board of directors of the corporation or any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of such board;

(2)with respect to a partnership, the Board of Directors of the general partner of the partnership;

(3)with respect to a limited liability company, the managing member or members or any controlling committee of managing members thereof; and

(4)with respect to any other person, the board or committee of such person serving a similar function.

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.

“Business Day” means, unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.

“Capital Lease Obligation” means, at the time any determination is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at that time be required to be capitalized on a balance sheet in accordance with GAAP, and the Stated Maturity thereof shall be the date of the last payment of rent or any other amount due under such lease prior to the first date upon which such lease may be prepaid by the lessee without payment of a penalty.

“Capital Stock” means:

(1)in the case of a corporation, corporate stock;

(2)in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock;

(3)in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership interests (whether general or limited) or membership interests; and

(4)any other interest or participation that confers on a person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing person, but excluding from all of the foregoing any debt securities convertible into Capital Stock, whether or not such debt securities include any right of participation with Capital Stock.

2

“Company” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it and thereafter means the successor.

“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.

“Company Request” means a written request signed in the name of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, the President or a Vice President, and by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered.

“Default” means any event that is, or with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.

“Depository” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depository for such Series by the Company, which Depository shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depository” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depository with respect to the Securities of such Series.

“Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.

“Dollars” and “$”means the currency of The United States of America.

“ECU” means the European Currency Unit as determined by the Commission of the European Union.

“Equity Interests” means Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock).

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Foreign Currency” means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of The United States of America.

“Foreign Government Obligations” means, with respect to Securities of any Series that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, (i) direct obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a person controlled or supervised by or acting as an agency or instrumentality of such government the timely payment of which is unconditionally

3

guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by such government, which, in either case under clauses (i) or (ii), are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are in effect from time to time.

“Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depository for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depository or nominee.

“Government Securities” means direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America, and the payment for which the United States pledges its full faith and credit.

“Guarantee” means a guarantee other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business, direct or indirect, in any manner including, without limitation, by way of a pledge of assets or through letters of credit or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof, of all or any part of any Indebtedness (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, or by agreements to keep-well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services, to take or pay or to maintain financial statement conditions or otherwise).

“Hedging Obligations” means, with respect to any specified person, the obligations of such person under:

(1)interest rate swap agreements (whether from fixed to floating or from floating to fixed), interest rate cap agreements and interest rate collar agreements;

(2)other agreements or arrangements designed to manage interest rates or interest rate risk; and

(3)other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or commodity prices.

“Holder” or “Securityholder” means a person in whose name a Security is registered or the holder of a Bearer Security.

“Indebtedness” means, with respect to any specified person, any indebtedness of such person (excluding accrued expenses and trade payables), whether or not contingent:

(1)in respect of borrowed money;

(2)evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof);

4

(3)in respect of banker’s acceptances;

(4)representing Capital Lease Obligations or Attributable Debt in respect of sale and leaseback transactions;

(5)representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property (including trade payables) or services due more than six months after such property is acquired or such services are completed; or

(6)representing the net amount owing under any Hedging Obligations,

if and to the extent any of the preceding items (other than letters of credit, Attributable Debt and Hedging Obligations) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of the specified person prepared in accordance with GAAP.  In addition, the term “Indebtedness” includes all Indebtedness of others secured by a Lien on any asset of the specified person (whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by the specified person) and, to the extent not otherwise included, the Guarantee by the specified person of any Indebtedness of any other person; provided, that the amount of such Indebtedness shall be deemed not to exceed the lesser of the amount secured by such Lien and the value of the person’s property securing such Lien.

“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.

“interest” with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.

“Lien” means, with respect to any asset:

(1)any mortgage, deed of trust, deed to secure debt, lien (statutory or otherwise), pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, restriction, collateral assignment, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset;

(2)the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset; and

(3)in the case of Equity Interests or debt securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such Equity Interests or debt securities.

“Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security or installment of principal thereof, means the date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, notice of option to elect repayment or otherwise.

“Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.

5

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel that meets the requirements of Section 11.5 hereof.  The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.

“person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, limited liability company or government or other entity.

“principal” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.

“Responsible Officer” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office (including any managing director, director, vice president, assistant vice president or trust officer) and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer customarily performing functions similar to those performed by the above designated officers and also means, any other officer to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Securities” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof.

“Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any installment of interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on which the payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the documentation governing such Indebtedness as of the date of the indenture, and will not include any contingent obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified person:

(1)any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency and after giving effect to any voting agreement or stockholders’ agreement that effectively transfers voting power) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees of the corporation, association or other business entity is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person (or a combination thereof); and

6

(2)any partnership (a) the sole general partner or the managing general partner of which is such person or a Subsidiary of such person or (b) the only general partners of which are that person or one or more Subsidiaries of that person (or any combination thereof).

“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code §§ 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act as so amended.

“Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.

“Voting Stock” of any person as of any date means the Capital Stock of such person that is at the time entitled to vote in the election of the Board of Directors of such person.

Section 1.2.Other Definitions.

	DEFINED IN
TERM	SECTION
“Bankruptcy Law”	6.1
“Custodian”	6.1
“Event of Default”	6.1
“Journal”	11.15
“Judgment Currency”	11.16
“Legal Holiday”	11.7
“mandatory sinking fund payment”	12.1
“Market Exchange Rate”	11.15
“New York Banking Day”	11.16
“optional sinking fund payment”	12.1
“Paying Agent”	2.4
“Payment Default”	6.1
“Registrar”	2.4
“Required Currency”	11.16
“Service Agent”	2.4

Section 1.3.Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.

Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.  The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

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“Commission” means the SEC.

“indenture securities” means the Securities.

“indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.

“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor upon the Securities.

All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.

Section 1.4.Rules of Construction.

Unless the context otherwise requires:

(a)a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(b)an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)references to “generally accepted accounting principles” and “GAAP” shall mean generally accepted accounting principles in effect as of the time when and for the period as to which such accounting principles are to be applied;

(d)“or” is not exclusive;

(e)words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; and

(f)provisions apply to successive events and transactions.

ARTICLE II.
THE SECURITIES

Section 2.1.Issuable in Series.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.  The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to the authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board

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Resolution may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined.  Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

Section 2.2.Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities.

At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsection 2.2.1 and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Subsections 2.2.2 through 2.2.21) by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution:

2.2.1.the title of the Series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series);

2.2.2.the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;

2.2.3.any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6);

2.2.4.the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;

2.2.5.the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;

2.2.6.the place or places where the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series shall be payable, where the Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;

2.2.7.if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

2.2.8.the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms

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and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

2.2.9.the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations;

2.2.10.if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;

2.2.11.the forms of the Securities of the Series in bearer or fully registered form (and, if in fully registered form, whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities);

2.2.12.if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;

2.2.13.the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be Dollars or any Foreign Currency, including, but not limited to, the ECU, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency other than the ECU, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;

2.2.14.the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be made;

2.2.15.if payments of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series are to be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to such payments will be determined;

2.2.16.the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be determined, if such amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;

2.2.17.the provisions, if any, relating to any security or guarantee provided for the Securities of the Series, and any subordination in right of payment, if any, of the Securities of the Series;

2.2.18.any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2;

2.2.19.any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Articles IV or V which applies to Securities of the Series;

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2.2.20.any other terms of the Securities of the Series (which may modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series); and

2.2.21.any depositories, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein.

All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate referred to above, and the authorized principal amount of any Series may not be increased to provide for issuances of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate.

Section 2.3.Execution and Authentication.

Two Officers shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.

A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.  The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.

The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order.  Such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent or agents, which oral instructions shall be promptly confirmed in writing.  Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication unless otherwise provided by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.

Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.2) shall be fully protected in relying on:  (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officers’ Certificate complying with Section 11.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 11.4.

The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such

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action may not be taken lawfully; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or vice-presidents shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities.  An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so.  Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent.  An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.

Section 2.4.Registrar and Paying Agent.

The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the place or places specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.2, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment (“Paying Agent”), where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (“Registrar”) and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served (“Service Agent”).  The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange.  The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent.  If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars, additional paying agents or additional service agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations to maintain a Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series for such purposes.  The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar, additional paying agent or additional service agent.  The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar; the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent; and the term “Service Agent” includes any additional service agent.

The Company hereby appoints the Trustee the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.

Section 2.5.Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust, for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series

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of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment.  While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee.  The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee.  Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have no further liability for the money.  If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent.

Section 2.6.Securityholder Lists.

The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a).  If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least ten days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities.

Section 2.7.Transfer and Exchange.

Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met.  To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request.  No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Sections 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6).

Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business fifteen days immediately preceding the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part.

Section 2.8.Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery in exchange therefor a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

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If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

Every new Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

Section 2.9.Outstanding Securities.

Subject to Section 2.10, the Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest on a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section as not outstanding.

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.

If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

Notwithstanding Section 2.10, a Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security.

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In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.

Section 2.10.Treasury Securities.

In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver Securities of a Series owned by the Company or an Affiliate of the Company shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver only Securities of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.

Section 2.11.Temporary Securities.

Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a Company Order.  Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities.  Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon request shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and date of maturity in exchange for temporary Securities.  Until so exchanged, temporary securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.

Section 2.12.Cancellation.

The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation.  The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment.  The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and dispose of such canceled Securities in its customary manner, including delivery of a certificate describing such Securities disposed, unless the Company directs in writing that the canceled Securities be returned to it.  The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

Section 2.13.Defaulted Interest.

If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the persons who are Securityholders of the Series on a subsequent special record date.  The Company shall fix the record date and payment date.  At least 10 days before the record date, the Company shall mail to the Trustee and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states the record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid.  The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.

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Section 2.14.Global Securities.

2.14.1.Terms of Securities.  A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depository for such Global Security or Securities.

2.14.2.Transfer and Exchange.  Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 of the Indenture and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 of the Indenture for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depository for such Security or its nominee only if (i) such Depository notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depository for such Global Security or if at any time such Depository ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depository registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable or (iii) an Event of Default with respect to the Securities represented by such Global Security shall have happened and be continuing.  Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depository shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms.

Except as provided in this Section 2.14.2, a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depository, by a nominee of such Depository to such Depository or another nominee of such Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.

2.14.3.Legend.  Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of the Depository or a nominee of the Depository.  This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a person other than the Depository or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository, by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.”

2.14.4.Acts of Holders.  The Depository, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.

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2.14.5.Payments.  Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof.

2.14.6.Consents, Declaration and Directions.  Except as provided in Section 2.14.5, the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of such Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depository with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture.

Section 2.15.CUSIP Numbers.

The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.

ARTICLE III.
REDEMPTION

Section 3.1.Notice to Trustee.

The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities.  If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Securities to be redeemed.  The Company shall give the notice at least 15 days before the date of giving of the notice of redemption (or such shorter notice as may be acceptable to the Trustee).

Section 3.2.Selection of Securities to be Redeemed or Repurchased.

Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, if less than all the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed or repurchased, the Trustee shall select the Securities of the Series to be redeemed or repurchased.

In the event of partial redemption or purchase by lot, the Trustee shall make the selection from Securities of the Series outstanding not previously called for redemption or repurchase in accordance with the procedures of the Depository.  The Trustee may select for redemption or repurchase portions of the principal of Securities of the Series that have denominations larger than $2,000.  Securities of the Series and

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portions of them it selects shall be in amounts of $2,000 or whole multiples of $1,000 or, with respect to Securities of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.2.10, the minimum principal denomination for each Series and integral multiples thereof.  Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities of a Series called for redemption or repurchase also apply to portions of Securities of that Series called for redemption or repurchase.

Section 3.3.Notice of Redemption.

Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed and if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish on one occasion a notice in an Authorized Newspaper, except that redemption notices may be mailed more than 60 days prior to a redemption date if the notice is issued in connection with a defeasance of the Securities or a satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture pursuant to Articles 8 or 10 hereof.

The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:

(a)the redemption date;

(b)the redemption price;

(c)the name and address of the Paying Agent;

(d)that Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

(e)that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;

(f)the CUSIP number, if any; and

(g)any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed.

At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense; provided however, that the Trustee is given at least 15 days prior notice of the date of the giving of such notice.

Section 3.4.Effect of Notice of Redemption.

Once notice of redemption is mailed or published as provided in Section 3.3, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price.  A notice of redemption may not be conditional.  Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to the redemption date; provided that installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the

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redemption date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities (or one or more predecessor Securities) registered at the close of business on the relevant record date therefor according to their terms and the terms of this Indenture.

Section 3.5.Deposit of Redemption Price.

On or before the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.

Section 3.6.Securities Redeemed in Part.

Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.

ARTICLE IV.
COVENANTS

Section 4.1.Payment of Principal and Interest.

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will pay or cause to be paid the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on, the Securities of that Series on the dates and in the manner provided in such Securities.  Principal, premium, if any, and interest on any Series of Securities will be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Company or a Subsidiary thereof, holds as of 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the due date money deposited by the Company in immediately available funds and designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium, if any, and interest then due.

Section 4.2.Maintenance of Office or Agency.

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee for such Securities or an affiliate of such Trustee, Registrar for such Securities or co-registrar) where such Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of such Securities and this Indenture may be served.  The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee for such Securities of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency.  If at any time the Company fails to maintain any such required office or agency or fails to furnish such Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of such Trustee.

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where Holders of a Series of Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission will in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to

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maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York for such purposes.  The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee for such Series of Securities of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

With respect to each Series of Securities, the Company hereby designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee for such Securities as one such office or agency of the Company in accordance with Section 2.5 hereof.

Section 4.3.SEC Reports.

(a)Whether or not required by the Comission’s rules and regulations, so long as any Series of Securities are outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Holders of such Securities or cause the Trustee with respect to such Series of Securities to furnish to the Holders of such Securities, within the time periods (including any extensions thereof) specified in the Commission’s rules and regulations:

(1)all quarterly and annual reports that would be required to be filed with the Commission on Forms 10-Q and 10-K if the Company were required to file reports; and

(2)all current reports that would be required to be filed with the SEC on Form 8-K if the Company were required to file such reports.

All such reports will be prepared in all material respects in accordance with all of the rules and regulations applicable to such reports.  Each annual report on Form 10-K will include a report on the Company’s consolidated financial statements by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.  In addition, the Company will file a copy of each of the reports referred to in clauses (1) and (2) above with the Commission for public availability within the time periods specified in the rules and regulations applicable to such reports (unless the SEC will not accept such a filing); provided, however, that the availability of the foregoing materials on SEC’s EDGAR service or on the Company’s website shall be deemed to satisfy the Company’s delivery obligations under this Section 4.3(a).

If the Company is no longer subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for any reason, the Company will nevertheless continue filing the reports specified in the preceding paragraph with the Commission within the time periods specified above unless the Commission will not accept such a filing.  The Company will not take any action for the purpose of causing the Commission not to accept any such filings.  If, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Commission will not accept the Company’s filings for any reason, the Company will post the reports referred to in the preceding paragraph on its website within the time periods that would apply if the Company were required to file those reports with the Commission.

(b)For so long as any Series of Securities remain outstanding, if at any time they are not required to file with the Commission the reports required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 4.3, the Company and any guarantors of such Securities will furnish to the Holders of such Securities and to securities analysts and prospective investors, upon their request, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act.

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(c)Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

Section 4.4.Compliance Certificate.

(a)The Company and each guarantor of any Series of Securities (to the extent that such guarantor is so required under the TIA) shall deliver to the Trustee with respect to such Series, within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, an Officers’ Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (or, if a Default or Event of Default has occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he or she may have knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto) and that to the best of his or her knowledge no event has occurred and remains in existence by reason of which payments on account of the principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities is prohibited or if such event has occurred, a description of the event and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

(b)So long as any of Series of Securities are outstanding, the Company will deliver to the Trustee with respect to such Series, forthwith upon any Officer becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officers’ Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

Section 4.5.Taxes.

The Company will pay, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to pay, prior to delinquency, all material taxes, assessments, and governmental levies except such as are contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or where the failure to effect such payment is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of such Securities.

Section 4.6.Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.

The Company covenants and agrees (to the extent that it may lawfully do so), that it will not, and each guarantor of such Securities will not, at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company and each of such guarantors (to the extent that it may lawfully do so), as applicable, hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the

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execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee for such Securities, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.

Section 4.7.Corporate Existence.

Subject to Article V hereof, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect:

(1)its corporate existence, and the corporate, partnership or other existence of each of its Subsidiaries, in accordance with the respective organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the Company or any such Subsidiary; and

(2)the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries

provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or the corporate, partnership or other existence of any of its Subsidiaries, if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of such Securities.

ARTICLE V.
SUCCESSORS

Section 5.1.Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets.

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it shall not, directly or indirectly: (i) consolidate or merge with or into another person (whether or not the Company is the surviving corporation); or (2) sell, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, in one or more related transactions, to another person, unless:

(1)either:

(A)the Company is the surviving corporation; or

(B)the person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition has been made is a corporation, partnership or limited liability company organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia; provided that if the Person is a partnership or limited liability company, then a corporation wholly-owned by such Person organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia that does not and will not have any material assets or operations shall become a co-issuer of the Securities pursuant to a supplemental indenture duly executed by the Trustee;

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(2)the person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or the person to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition has been made assumes all the obligations of the Company under such Securities and this Indenture pursuant to agreements reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee for such Securities; and

(3)immediately after such transaction, no Default or Event of Default exists.

In addition, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, lease all or substantially all of its properties or assets, in one or more related transactions, to any other person.  This Section 5.1 will not apply to:

(1)a merger of the Company with an Affiliate solely for the purpose of reincorporating the Company in another jurisdiction or forming a direct holding company of the Company; or

(2)any sale, transfer, assignment, conveyance, lease or other disposition of assets between or among the Company and its Subsidiaries, including by way of merger or consolidation.

Section 5.2.Successor Corporation Substituted.

Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company in a transaction that is subject to, and that complies with the provisions of, Section 5.1 hereof, the successor person formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition, the provisions of this Indenture referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the successor person and not to the Company), and may exercise every right and power of the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor person had been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor Company shall not be relieved from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on any Series of Securities except in the case of a sale of all of the Company’s assets in a transaction that is subject to, and that complies with the provisions of, Section 5.1 hereof.

ARTICLE VI.
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

Section 6.1.Events of Default.

“Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:

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(a)default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or

(b)default in payment when due of the principal of, or premium, if any, on any Security of that Series; or

(c)default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due in respect of any Security of that Series; or

(d)default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of Series of Securities other than that Series), which default continues uncured for a period of 30 days after written notice given by the Trustees for such Securities or Holders of such Securities; or

(e)default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries) whether such Indebtedness or guarantee now exists, or is created after the date of the indenture, if that default:

(i)is caused by a failure to pay principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on such Indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such Indebtedness on the date of such default (a “Payment Default”); or

(ii)results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior to its express maturity,

and, in each case, the principal amount of any such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness under which there has been a Payment Default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregates $10 million or more;

(f)one or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of $10 million (excluding therefrom any amount reasonably expected to be covered by insurance) shall be rendered against the Company any Restricted Subsidiary or any combination thereof and the same shall not have been paid, discharged or stayed for a period of 60 days after such judgment became final and nonappealable;

(g)the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(i)commences a voluntary case,

(ii)consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,

(iii)consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,

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(iv)makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or

(v)generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due; or

(h)a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

(i)is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case,

(ii)appoints a Custodian of the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or

(iii)orders the liquidation of the Company, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; or

(i)any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2.18.

The term “Bankruptcy Law” means title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors.  The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

Section 6.2.Acceleration.

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Section 6.1(g) or (h)) then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Securities of that Series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable.  If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(g) or (h) shall occur, the principal amount (or specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.

At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing Events of Default (except nonpayment of principal, interest or premium that has become due solely because of the acceleration) have been cured or waived.

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

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Section 6.3.Other Remedies.

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on such Securities or to enforce the performance of any provision of such Securities or this Indenture.

The Trustee for such Securities may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of such Securities or does not produce any of them in the proceeding.  A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder of Securities in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default.  All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.

Section 6.4.Waiver of Past Defaults.

Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any Series by notice to the Trustee for such Securities may on behalf of the Holders of all of such Securities waive an existing Default or Event of Default with respect to such Securities and its consequences hereunder, except a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, such Securities (including in connection with an offer to purchase); provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration of such Securities and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration.  Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 6.5.Control by Majority.

Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any Series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the Trustee for such Securities or exercising any trust or power conferred on it.  However, the Trustee for any Series of Securities may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture that such Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders of such Securities or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability.

Section 6.6.Limitation on Suits.

A Holder of any Series of Securities may pursue a remedy with respect to this Indenture or such Securities only if:

(1)such Holder gives to the Trustee for such Securities written notice that an Event of Default is continuing;

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(2)Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of such Series make a written request to the Trustee for such Securities to pursue the remedy;

(3)such Holder or Holders offer and, if requested, provide to the Trustee for such Securities security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to such Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;

(4)such Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of security or indemnity; and

(5)during such 60-day period, Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of such Series do not give such Trustee a direction inconsistent with such request.

A Holder of any Series of Securities may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder of such Series of Securities or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder of a Securities of such Series.

Section 6.7.Rights of Holders of Securities to Receive Payment.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Security of any Series to receive payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on such Securities, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Securities (including, if applicable, in connection with an offer to purchase), or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.

Section 6.8.Collection Suit by Trustee.

If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(a), (b) or (c) hereof with respect to Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee for such Securities is authorized to recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole amount of principal of, premium, if any, and interest remaining unpaid on, such Securities and interest on overdue principal and, to the extent lawful, interest and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of such Trustee, its agents and counsel.

Section 6.9.Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

The Trustee for each Series of Securities is authorized to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of such Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of such Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Holders of the Securities for which it acts as trustee allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon such Securities), its creditors or its property and shall be entitled and empowered to collect, receive and distribute any money or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and any custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder of such

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Securities to make such payments to such Trustee, and in the event that such Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to such Holders, to pay to such Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of such Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due such Trustee under the Indenture.  To the extent that the payment of any such compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of such Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due such Trustee out of the estate in any such proceeding, shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a Lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, money, securities and other properties that such Holders may be entitled to receive in such proceeding whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise.  Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize such Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder for which it acts as trustee any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of such Holder, or to authorize such Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any such Holder in any such proceeding.

Section 6.10.Priorities.

If the Trustee of any Series of Securities collects any money pursuant to this Article 6, it shall pay out the money in the following order:

First:to the Trustee, its agents and attorneys for amounts due under the Indenture, including payment of all reasonable compensation, expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and the costs and expenses of collection;

Second: to Holders of such Securities for amounts due and unpaid on such Securities for principal, premium, if any, and interest, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal, premium, if any and interest, respectively; and

Third:to the Company or to such party as a court of competent jurisdiction shall direct.

The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders of Securities pursuant to this Section 6.10.

Section 6.11.Undertaking for Costs.

In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against any Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as a trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant.  This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder of a Security pursuant to Section 6.7 hereof, or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any Series.

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ARTICLE VII.
TRUSTEE

Section 7.1.Duties of Trustee.

(a)If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

(b)Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(i)The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others.

(ii)In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officers’ Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).

(c)The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(i)This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section.

(ii)The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.

(iii)The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series.

(d)Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraph (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.

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(e)The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power at the request or direction of any Holder unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.

(f)The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company.  Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

(g)No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk is not reasonably assured to it.

(h)The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections, immunities and standard of care as are set forth in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section with respect to the Trustee.

Section 7.2.Rights of Trustee.

(a)The Trustee may conclusively rely on and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person.  The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

(b)Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate.  The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers’ Certificate.

(c)The Trustee may act through agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent, attorney, custodian or nominee appointed with due care.  No Depository shall be deemed an agent, attorney, custodian or nominee of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depository.

(d)The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, provided that the Trustee’s conduct does not constitute negligence or bad faith.

(e)The Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder without negligence and in good faith and in reliance thereon.

(f)The Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to it

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against the losses, liabilities and expenses that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

(g)The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder without negligence and in good faith and in reliance thereon.

(h)The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further reasonable inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit at the expense of the Company.

(i)The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities generally or the Securities of a particular Seriesand this Indenture.

(j)In no event shall the Trustee be liable for the selection of investments or for investment losses incurred thereon.  The Trustee shall have no liability in respect of losses incurred as a result of the liquidation of any investment prior to its stated maturity or failure to provide timely written direction.

(k)in no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

(l)the rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.

Section7.3.Individual Rights of Trustee.

The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.  Any Agent may do the same with like rights.  The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

Section7.4.Trustee’s Disclaimer.

The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds

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from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication.

Section7.5.Notice of Defaults.

If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Seriesand if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Seriesand, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper, notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default.  Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as its corporate trust committee or a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Securityholders of that Series.

Section7.6.Reports by Trustee to Holders.

Within 60 days after May15 in each year, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish in an Authorized Newspaper, a brief report dated as of such May15, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA § 313.

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Seriesshall be filed with the SEC and each stock exchange on which the Securities of that Seriesare listed.  The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when Securities of any Seriesare listed on any stock exchange.

Section7.7.Compensation and Indemnity.

The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree upon in writing.  The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust.  The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it.  Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee (including the cost of defending itself) against any loss, liability or expense, including taxes (other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee) incurred by it except as set forth in the next paragraph in the performance of its duties under this Indenture as Trustee or Agent.  The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim of which it has received written notice for which it may seek indemnity.  The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense.  The Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel.  The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.  This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.

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The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee through the negligence or bad faith of any such person.

To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Serieson all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities of that Series.

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section6.1(g)or (h)occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

The provisions of this Sectionshall survive the termination of this Indenture.

Section7.8.Replacement of Trustee.

A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.

The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Seriesby so notifying the Company at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation.  The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Seriesmay remove the Trustee with respect to that Seriesby so notifying the Trustee and the Company.  The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of one or more Seriesif:

(a)the Trustee fails to comply with Section7.10;

(b)the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

(c)a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

(d)the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee.  Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.

If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Seriesdoes not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee (at the expense of the Company), the Company or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Seriesmay petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

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A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company.  Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee, upon payment of its charges hereunder, shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section7.7, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Seriesof Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture.  A successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to each Securityholder of each such Seriesand, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish such notice on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper.  Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section7.8, the Company’s obligations under Section7.7 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it prior to such replacement.

Section7.9.Successor Trustee by Merger,etc.

If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee.

Section7.10.Eligibility; Disqualification.

This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(1), (2)and (5).  The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.  The Trustee shall comply with TIA § 310(b).

Section7.11.Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

The Trustee is subject to TIA § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA § 311(b).  A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA § 311(a)to the extent indicated.

ARTICLEVIII.
LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

Section8.1.Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

The Company may at any time, at the option of its Board of Directors evidenced by a resolution set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, elect to have either Section8.2 or 8.3 hereof be applied to all outstanding Securities of any Seriesupon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article8.

Section8.2.Legal Defeasance and Discharge.

Upon the Company’s exercise under Section8.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section8.2, the Company and each guarantor, if any, of such Securities will, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section8.4 hereof, be deemed to have been discharged from its or their obligations with respect to all outstanding Securities of such Series(including

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the related guarantees, if any) on the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, “Legal Defeasance”).  For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Company and such guarantors, if any, will be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by the outstanding Securities of such Series(including the related guarantees, if any), which will thereafter be deemed to be “outstanding” only for the purposes of Section8.5 hereof and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in clauses (1)and (2)below, and to have satisfied all its or their other obligations under such Securities, such guarantees, if any, and this Indenture (and the Trustee for such Securities, on demand of and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following provisions which will survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder:

(1)the rights of Holders of outstanding Securities of such Seriesto receive payments in respect of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such Securities when such payments are due from the trust referred to in Section8.4 hereof;

(2)the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities under Article2 and Section4.2 hereof;

(3)the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee for such Securities hereunder and the Company’s and the guarantors’, if any, obligations in connection therewith; and

(4)this Article8.

Subject to compliance with this Article8, the Company may exercise its option under this Section8.2 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section8.3 hereof.

Section8.3.Covenant Defeasance.

Upon the Company’s exercise under Section8.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section8.3, the Company and each of the guarantors, if any, will, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section8.4 hereof, be released from each of their or its obligations under the covenants specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, in accordance with Section2.2.18, with respect to the outstanding Securities of the applicable Serieson and after the date the conditions set forth in Section8.4 hereof are satisfied (hereinafter, “Covenant Defeasance”), and such Securities will thereafter be deemed not “outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or act of Holders of such Securities (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but will continue to be deemed “outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Securities will not be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes).  For this purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Securities of such Series, the Company may omit to comply with and will have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section6.1 hereof, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities will be unaffected

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thereby.  In addition, upon the Company’s exercise under Section8.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section8.3, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section8.4 hereof, Sections 6.1(d)through (f)hereof will not constitute Events of Default.

Section8.4.Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance.

In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance under either Section8.2 or 8.3 hereof with respect to Securities of any Series:

(1)the Company must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee for such Securities, in trust, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm, or firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on, the outstanding Securities of such Serieson the stated date for payment thereof or on the applicable redemption date, as the case may be, and the Company must specify whether such Securities are being defeased to such stated date for payment or to a particular redemption date;

(2)in the case of an election under Section8.2 hereof, the Company must deliver to the Trustee for such Securities an Opinion of Counsel confirming that:

(A)the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling; or

(B)since the date of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law,

in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the outstanding Securities of such Serieswill not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;

(3)in the case of an election under Section8.3 hereof, the Company must deliver to the Trustee for such Securities an Opinion of Counsel confirming that the Holders of such Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;

(4)no Default or Event of Default with respect to such Securities shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit);

(5)such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement or instrument (other than this Indenture) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound;

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(6)the Company must deliver to the Trustee for such Securities an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of such Securities over the other creditors of the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Company or others; and

(7)the Company must deliver to the Trustee for such Securities an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel (subject to customary assumptions and exceptions), each stating that all conditions precedent relating to the Legal Defeasance or the Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.

Section8.5.Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.

Subject to Section8.6 hereof, all money and non-callable Government Securities (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with a Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section8.5, the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section8.4 hereof in respect of the outstanding Securities of any Serieswill be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, premium, if any, and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

The Company will pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or non-callable Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section8.4 hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Securities of the applicable Series.

Notwithstanding anything in this Article8 to the contrary, the Trustee will deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon the request of the Company any money or non-callable Government Securities held by it as provided in Section8.4 hereof which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may be the opinion delivered under Section8.4(1)hereof), are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

Section8.6.Repayment to Company.

Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any Seriesof Securities and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on its request or (if then held by the Company) will be discharged from such trust; and the Holders of such Securities will thereafter be permitted to look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, will thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying

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Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (national edition), notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which will not be less than 30 days from the date of such notification or publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.

Section8.7.Reinstatement.

If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any U.S. dollars or non-callable Government Securities in accordance with Section8.2 or 8.3 hereof, as the case may be, by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s and any applicable guarantors’ obligations under this Indenture and the applicable Securities and the guarantees will be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section8.2 or 8.3 hereof until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section8.2 or 8.3 hereof, as the case may be; provided, however, that, if the Company makes any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any such Securities following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company will be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

ARTICLEIX.
AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS

Section9.1.Without Consent of Holders.

Notwithstanding Section9.2 of this Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may amend, modify or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Serieswithout the consent of any Securityholder:

(a)to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;

(b)to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;

(c)to provide for the assumption of the Company’s obligations to the Holders of the Securities by a successor to the Company pursuant to Article5 hereof;

(d)to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders of Securities or that does not adversely affect the legal rights hereunder of any Securityholder;

(e)to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA

(f)to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Seriesas permitted by this Indenture; or

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(g)to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Seriesand to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee.

Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a resolution of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section7.2 hereof, the Trustee will join with the Company in the execution of any amended or supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee will not be obligated to enter into such amended or supplemental indenture that affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

Section9.2.With Consent of Holders.

The Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Seriesaffected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Securityholders of each such Series.  Except as provided in Section6.4, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Seriesby notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.  Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a resolution of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Holders of Securities as aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section7.2 hereof, the Trustee will join with the Company in the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture unless such amended or supplemental indenture directly affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but will not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental Indenture.

After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Securities affected thereby and, if any Bearer Securities affected thereby are outstanding, publish on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper, a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver.  Any failure by the Company to mail or publish such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.

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Section9.3.Limitations.

Without the consent of each Securityholder affected, an amendment or waiver may not (with respect to any Securities held by a non-consenting Holder):

(a)change the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

(b)reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any Security;

(c)reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;

(d)reduce the principal amount of Discount Securities payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof;

(e)waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Seriesby the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Seriesand a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);

(f)make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security payable in any currency other than that stated in the Security;

(g)make any change in Sections 6.4, 6.7, 9.3 (this sentence), 11.15, or 11.16; or

(h)waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security or change any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of any Securities, except as specifically set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section2.2.

Section9.4.Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.

Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Seriesshall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.

Section9.5.Revocation and Effect of Consents.

Until an amendment or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security.  However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment or waiver becomes effective.

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Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Securityholder of each Seriesaffected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a)through (h)of Section9.3.  In that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security.

Section9.6.Notation on or Exchange of Securities.

The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment or waiver on any Security of any Seriesthereafter authenticated.  The Company in exchange for Securities of that Seriesmay issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Securities of that Seriesthat reflect the amendment or waiver.

Section9.7.Trustee Protected.

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Articleor the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be provided with, and (subject to Section7.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture.  The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects its rights.

ARTICLEX.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

Section10.1.Satisfaction and Discharge.

This Indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect as to a Seriesof Securities issued hereunder, when:

(a)either:

(i)all such Securities that have been authenticated, except lost, stolen or destroyed Securities that have been replaced or paid and Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust and thereafter repaid to the Company, have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(ii)all such Securities that have not been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have become due and payable by reason of the mailing of a notice of redemption or otherwise or will become due and payable within one year and the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, to pay and discharge the entire Indebtedness on such Securities not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation for principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest to the date of maturity or redemption;

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(b)no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit) and the deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other material instrument to which the Company or any guarantor, as applicable, of such Securities is a party or by which the Company or any such guarantor, as applicable, is bound;

(c)the Company or any guarantor of such Securities has paid or caused to be paid all sums payable by it under this Indenture; and

(d)the Company has delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee for such Securities under this Indenture to apply the deposited money toward the payment of such Securities at maturity or on the redemption date, as the case may be.

In addition, the Company must deliver an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee for such Securities stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, if money has been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (b)of this Section10.1, the provisions of Sections 10.2 and 8.6 hereof will survive.  In addition, nothing in this Section10.1 will be deemed to discharge those provisions of Section7.7 hereof, that, by their terms, survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

Section10.2.Application of Trust Money.

Subject to the provisions of Section8.6 hereof, all money deposited with a Trustee pursuant to Section10.1 hereof shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities with respect to which such deposit was made and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as such Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with such Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

If such Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or Government Securities in accordance with Section10.1 hereof by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company’s and any applicable guarantor’s obligations under this Indenture and the applicable Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section10.1 hereof; provided that if the Company has made any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or Government Securities held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

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ARTICLEXI.
MISCELLANEOUS

Section11.1.Trust Indenture Act Controls.

If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.

Section11.2.Notices.

Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other, or by a Holder to the Company or the Trustee, is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail:

if to the Company:

B&G Foods,Inc.

Four Gatehall Drive, Suite110
Parsippany, NJ 07054

Attention: General Counsel
Telephone: (973) 401-6500
Facsimile: (973) 630-6550

if to the Trustee:

The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.

525 William Penn Place, 38th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15259

Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
Telephone: (412) 234-7562
Facsimile:  (412) 234-7535

The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

Any notice or communication to a Securityholder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, published in an Authorized Newspaper.  Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder of any Seriesor any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders of that or any other Series.

If a notice or communication is mailed or published in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Securityholder receives it.

If the Company mails a notice or communication to Securityholders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.

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The Trustee agrees to accept and act upon instructions or directions pursuant to this Indenture sent by unsecured e-mail, pdf, facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods.  If the Company elects to give the Trustee e-mail or facsimile instructions (or instructions by a similar electronic method) and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions notwithstanding such instructions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk or interception and misuse by third parties.

Section11.3.Communication by Holders with Other Holders.

Securityholders of any Seriesmay communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b)with other Securityholders of that Seriesor any other Serieswith respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Seriesor all Series.  The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).

Section11.4.Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.

Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

(a)an Officers’ Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and

(b)an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.

Section11.5.Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.

Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA § 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA § 314(e)and shall include:

(a)a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

(b)a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(c)a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

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(d)a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

Section11.6.Rulesby Trustee and Agents.

The Trustee may make reasonable rulesfor action by or a meeting of Securityholders of one or more Series.  Any Agent may make reasonable rulesand set reasonable requirements for its functions.

Section11.7.Legal Holidays.

Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, a “Legal Holiday” is any day that is not a Business Day.  If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

Section11.8.No Recourse Against Others.

A director, officer, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation.  Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability.  The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

Section11.9.Counterparts.

This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

Section11.10.Governing Laws.

THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WILL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES AND ANY GUARANTEES OF THE SECURITIES WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY.

Section11.11.No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.

This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company.  Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

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Section11.12.Successors.

All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successor.  All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.

Section11.13.Severability.

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section11.14.Table of Contents, Headings,Etc.

The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table, and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

Section11.15.Securities in a Foreign Currency or in ECU.

Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Seriesof Securities, whenever for purposes of this Indenture any action may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all Seriesor all Seriesaffected by a particular action at the time outstanding and, at such time, there are outstanding Securities of any Serieswhich are denominated in a coin or currency other than Dollars (including ECUs), then the principal amount of Securities of such Serieswhich shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of taking such action shall be that amount of Dollars that could be obtained for such amount at the Market Exchange Rate at such time.  For purposes of this Section10.15, “Market Exchange Rate” shall mean the noon Dollar buying rate in New York City for cable transfers of that currency as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; provided, however, in the case of ECUs, Market Exchange Rate shall mean the rate of exchange determined by the Commission of the European Union (or any successor thereto) as published in the Official Journal of the European Union (such publication or any successor publication, the “Journal”).  If such Market Exchange Rate is not available for any reason with respect to such currency, the Trustee shall use, in its sole discretion and without liability on its part, such quotation of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or, in the case of ECUs, the rate of exchange as published in the Journal, as of the most recent available date, or quotations or, in the case of ECUs, rates of exchange from one or more major banks in The City of New York or in the country of issue of the currency in question or, in the case of ECUs, in Luxembourg or such other quotations or, in the case of ECUs, rates of exchange as the Trustee, upon consultation with the Company, shall deem appropriate.  The provisions of this paragraph shall apply in determining the equivalent principal amount in respect of Securities of a Seriesdenominated in currency other than Dollars in connection with any action taken by Holders of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

All decisions and determinations of the Trustee regarding the Market Exchange Rate or any alternative determination provided for in the preceding paragraph shall be in its sole

46

discretion and shall, in the absence of manifest error, to the extent permitted by law, be conclusive for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Company and all Holders.

Section11.16.Judgment Currency.

The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a)if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of or interest or other amount on the Securities of any Series(the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered, unless such day is not a New York Banking Day, then, the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the New York Banking Day preceding the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered and (b)its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i)shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender, any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with subsection (a)), in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii)shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable, and (iii)shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture.  For purposes of the foregoing, “New York Banking Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.

Section11.17.Waiver of Jury Trial.

EACH OF THE COMPANY, THE HOLDERS AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

Section11.18.Force Majeure.

In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

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ARTICLEXII.
SINKING FUNDS

Section12.1.Applicability of Article.

The provisions of this Articleshall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series, except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such Seriesissued pursuant to this Indenture.

The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Seriesis herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment” and any other amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such Seriesis herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.”  If provided for by the terms of Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section12.2.  Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any Seriesas provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series.

Section12.2.Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.

The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Seriesto be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (1)deliver outstanding Securities of such Seriesto which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (2)apply as credit Securities of such Seriesto which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been repurchased by the Company or redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Seriesof Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited.  Such Securities shall be received by the Trustee, together with an Officers’ Certificate with respect thereto, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the Trustee begins the process of selecting Securities for redemption, and shall be credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.  If as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section12.2, the principal amount of Securities of such Seriesto be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such Seriesfor redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment, provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that Seriespurchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.

48

Section12.3.Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.

Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate in respect of a particular Seriesof Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Seriesof Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Seriespursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that Seriespursuant to Section12.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified.  Not less than 30 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Seriesof Securities) before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section3.2 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section3.3.  Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.

49

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.

B&G Foods,Inc.
By:
	Name:
	Its:
The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.
By:
	Name:
	Its:

EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

	Cira Centre
	2929 Arch Street
	Philadelphia, PA  19104-2808
	+1  215  994  4000  Main
	+1  215  994  2222  Fax
	www.dechert.com

May 20, 2013

B&G Foods, Inc.

Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110

Parsippany, New Jersey 07054

Re:Registration Statement on Form S-3

Gentlemen and Ladies:

We have acted as special counsel to B&G Foods, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the subsidiary guarantors listed on Schedule A hereto (each, a “Subsidiary Guarantor”) in connection with the preparation and filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) filed today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the proposed offerings from time to time of the following securities of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors: (1) shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”), (2) shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“Preferred Stock”), (3) debt securities, which may be senior or subordinated to other obligations of the Company and which may be in one or more series (collectively, “Debt Securities”), to be issued pursuant to an indenture between the Company and a trustee to be named therein (the “Trustee”) (such indenture, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Indenture”), (4) guarantees, if any, of the Debt Securities by the Subsidiary Guarantors (the “Guarantees”), (5) warrants to purchase debt or equity securities of the Company (“Warrants”), and (6) units consisting of any combination of one or more of the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement (“Units”).  The Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities, Guarantees, Warrants and Units are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.”

The Registration Statement provides that the Securities may be offered separately or together, in separate series, in amounts, at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or more supplements to the prospectus included in the Registration Statement (each, a “Prospectus Supplement”).  This opinion letter is being furnished to the Company in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) under Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement, other than as to the validity of the Securities as set forth below.

As such counsel, we have made such legal and factual examination and inquiry as we have deemed necessary for the rendering of this opinion. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. In making our examination we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to all authentic original documents submitted to us as copies, the legal capacity of natural persons who are signatories to the documents examined by us, and the legal power and authority of all persons signing on behalf of the parties to all documents (other than the Company and its subsidiaries).

On the basis of the foregoing and subject to the assumptions, qualifications and limitations set forth in this letter, we are of the opinion that:

1.The Common Stock, when (a) duly issued and sold in accordance with the Registration Statement and applicable Prospectus Supplement, or upon conversion or exchange of Debt Securities or Preferred Stock or upon exercise of Warrants as contemplated by the Registration Statement and applicable Prospectus Supplement, and (b) delivered to the purchaser or purchasers thereof against receipt by the Company of such lawful consideration therefor as the Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may determine and at a price per share not less than the per share par value of the Common Stock, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

2.The Preferred Stock, when (a) duly issued and sold in accordance with the Registration Statement and applicable Prospectus Supplement, upon conversion or exchange of Debt Securities or upon exercise of Warrants as contemplated by the Registration Statement and applicable Prospectus Supplement, and (b) delivered to the purchaser or purchasers thereof against receipt by the Company of such lawful consideration therefor as the Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may determine and at a price per share not less than the per share par value of the Preferred Stock, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

3.The Debt Securities, when (a) duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the applicable Trustee in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Indenture and issued and sold (x) in accordance with the Registration Statement and applicable Prospectus Supplement or (y) upon conversion or exchange of Preferred Stock or upon exercise of Warrants as contemplated by the Registration Statement and applicable Prospectus Supplement, and (b) delivered to the purchaser or purchasers thereof against receipt by the Company of such lawful

2

consideration therefor as the Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may determine, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms.

4.The Guarantees, when (a) duly executed by the Subsidiary Guarantors and issued and sold (x) in accordance with the Registration Statement and applicable Prospectus Supplement or (y) upon conversion or exchange of Preferred Stock or upon exercise of Warrants as contemplated by the Registration Statement and applicable Prospectus Supplement, and (b) delivered to the purchaser or purchasers thereof against receipt by the applicable Subsidiary Guarantors of such lawful consideration therefor as their respective Board of Directors or Board of Trustees, as applicable (or a duly authorized committee thereof), may determine, will be valid and binding obligations of the applicable Subsidiary Guarantors enforceable against the applicable Subsidiary Guarantors in accordance with their respective terms.

5.The Warrants, when (a) duly executed, authenticated, issued and sold in accordance with the Registration Statement and applicable Prospectus Supplement and the provisions of an applicable, valid and binding warrant agreement and (b) delivered to the purchaser or purchasers thereof against receipt by the Company of such lawful consideration therefor as the Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may determine, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms.

6.The Units, when (a) duly executed, authenticated, issued and sold in accordance with the Registration Statement and applicable Prospectus Supplement and the provisions of any applicable and valid and binding unit agreement, and (b) delivered to the purchaser or purchasers thereof against receipt by the Company of such lawful consideration therefor as the Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) may determine, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms.

The opinions set forth herein are subject to the following assumptions, qualifications, limitations and exceptions being true and correct at or before the time of the delivery of any Securities offered pursuant to the Registration Statement and appropriate Prospectus Supplement: (i) the Board of Directors of the Company and the respective Board of Directors or Board of Trustees, as applicable, of the Subsidiary Guarantors, including any appropriate committee appointed thereby (collectively, the “Boards”), shall have (x) duly established the terms of the Securities (and in the

3

case of the Units, the Securities that are the components thereof), and (y) duly authorized and taken any other necessary corporate or other action to approve the creation, if applicable, issuance and sale of the Securities and related matters (including with respect to Preferred Stock, the execution, acknowledgment and filing of a Certificate of Designation stating the designation and voting rights, preferences, limitations and special rights, if any, of any such Preferred Stock in accordance with the applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware) and any Securities consisting of Common Stock or Preferred Stock, and any Common Stock or Preferred Stock for or into which any other Securities are exercisable, exchangeable or convertible, shall have been duly reserved for issuance and such authorizations and actions have not been rescinded; (ii) the resolutions establishing the definitive terms of and authorizing the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors to register, offer, sell and issue the Securities shall remain in effect and unchanged at all times during which the Securities are offered, sold or issued by the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors; (iii) the definitive terms of each class and series of the Securities not presently provided for in the Registration Statement or the certificates of incorporation or organization, bylaws and other similar formation documents of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors (collectively, the “Formation Documents”), and the terms of the issuance and sale of the Securities (x) shall have been duly established in accordance with all applicable law and the Formation Documents, any Indenture, underwriting agreement, warrant agreement, unit agreement and any other relevant agreement relating to the terms and the offer and sale of the Securities (collectively, the “Agreements”) and the authorizing resolutions of the Boards, and reflected in appropriate documentation reviewed by us, and (y) shall not violate any applicable law, the Formation Documents or the Agreements (subject to the further assumption that such Formation Documents and Agreements have not been amended from the date hereof in a manner that would affect the validity of any of the opinions rendered herein), or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company or any applicable Subsidiary Guarantor and so as to comply with any restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company or any applicable Subsidiary Guarantor; (iv) upon issuance of any shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock, or, in the case of Units, of which shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock are components, including upon exercise, conversion or exchange of Securities, the total number of shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock issued and outstanding shall not exceed the total number of shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock that the Company is then authorized to issue under its Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation; (v) the interest rate on the Debt Securities shall not be higher than the maximum lawful rate permitted from time to time under applicable law; (vi) the Securities (including any Securities issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange of other Securities and, in the case of any Units, the Securities that are components thereof), and any certificates or instruments representing the relevant Securities (including any Securities issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange of other Securities and, in the case of any Units, the Securities that are components thereof), have been duly authenticated, executed, countersigned,

4

registered and delivered upon payment of the agreed-upon legal consideration therefor and have been duly issued and sold in accordance with any relevant agreement, approved by us and, if applicable, duly executed and delivered by the Company, any applicable Subsidiary Guarantor and any other appropriate party; (vii) each Indenture, warrant agreement, unit agreement and any other relevant agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and will constitute a valid and binding obligation of, each party thereto (other than the Company and any applicable Subsidiary Guarantors); (viii) the Registration Statement, as amended (including all necessary post-effective amendments), and any additional registration statement filed under Rule 462, shall be effective under the Securities Act, and such effectiveness shall not have been terminated or rescinded; (ix) an appropriate Prospectus Supplement shall have been prepared, delivered and filed in compliance with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder describing the Securities offered thereby; (x) the Securities shall be issued and sold in compliance with all federal and state securities laws and solely in the manner stated in the Registration Statement and the applicable Prospectus Supplement and there shall not have occurred any change in law affecting the validity of the opinions rendered herein; (xi) if the Securities will be sold pursuant to a firm commitment underwritten offering, the underwriting agreement with respect to the Securities in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or incorporated by reference therein, has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, any applicable Subsidiary Guarantor and the other parties thereto; (xii) the Indenture shall have been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended; (xiii) each agreement or contract referred to herein but not filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement as of the date hereof shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York; and (xiv) in the case of an agreement or instrument pursuant to which any Securities are to be issued, there shall be no terms or provisions contained therein which would affect the validity of any of the opinions rendered herein.

Any opinion set forth herein as to enforceability of obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is subject to: (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or similar laws now or hereinafter in effect affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at law) and the discretion of the court or other body before which any proceeding may be brought; (ii) provisions of law that may require that a judgment for money damages rendered by a court in the United States be expressed only in United States dollars; (iii) requirements that a claim with respect to any Debt Securities denominated other than in U.S. dollars (or a judgment denominated other than in U.S. dollars in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law; and (iv) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States or in foreign currency or composite currency.

5

We express no opinion as to the validity, legally binding effect or enforceability of any provision in any agreement or instrument that (i) requires or relates to payment of any interest at a rate or in an amount that a court would determine in the circumstances under applicable law to be commercially unreasonable or a penalty or forfeiture or (ii) relates to governing law and submission by the parties to the jurisdiction of one or more particular courts.

The opinions expressed herein are limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, Chapter 182 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the laws of the State of New York.  We are not members of the bar of the State of Delaware, nor do we purport to be experts in the laws of the State of Delaware.

This opinion letter has been prepared for your use solely in connection with the Registration Statement. We assume no obligation to advise you of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name in the prospectus contained therein, under the caption “Legal Matters.” In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Dechert LLP

6

Schedule A

Subsidiary Guarantors

B&G Foods North America, Inc.

B&G Foods Snacks, Inc.

William Underwood Company

EX-12.1

Exhibit 12.1

Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

	Thirteen Weeks Ended March 30, 2013		Year Ended Dec. 29, 2012		Year Ended Dec. 31, 2011		Year Ended Jan. 1, 2011		Year Ended Jan 2., 2010		Year Ended Jan. 3, 2009
Income before income tax expense	$	30,464	$	90,914	$	76,804	$	49,151	$	28,665	$	15,817
Add:
Fixed charges	10,235		49,486		38,523		42,077		52,881		53,893
Income as adjusted	$	40,699	$	140,400	$	115,327	$	91,228	$	81,546	$	69,710
Fixed charges:
Interest expense (excluding unrealized gain or loss on interest rate swap)	$	9,773	$	47,660	$	36,675	$	40,048	$	50,973	$	52,498
Portion of rents representative of the interest factor	462		1, 826		1,848		2,029		1,908		1,395
Fixed charges	$	10,235	$	49,486	$	38,523	$	42,077	$	52,881	$	53,893
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges	4.0x		2.8x		3.0x		2.2x		1.5x		1.3x

EX-23.2

Exhibit 23.2

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors

B&G Foods, Inc.:

We consent to the use of our reports dated February 26, 2013, with respect to the consolidated balance sheets of B&G Foods, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 29, 2012 and December 31, 2011 and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the years ended December 29, 2012, December 31, 2011, and January 1, 2011, the related financial statement schedule, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of B&G Foods, Inc. as of December 29, 2012, incorporated herein by reference and reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in the prospectus.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Short Hills, New Jersey

May 16, 2013

EX-25.1

Exhibit 25.1

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

FORM T-1

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A
CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE
ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO
SECTION 305(b)(2)           o

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)

(Jurisdiction of incorporation if not a U.S. national bank)	95-3571558 (I.R.S. employer identification no.)
400 South Hope Street Suite 400 Los Angeles, California (Address of principal executive offices)	90071 (Zip code)

B&G FOODS, INC.

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization) 13-3918742
(I.R.S. employer
identification no.)

B&G Foods North America, Inc.

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization) 22-3640377
(I.R.S. employer
identification no.)

B&G Foods Snacks, Inc.

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization) 46-1040154
(I.R.S. employer
identification no.)

William Underwood Company

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

Massachusetts
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization) 04-1919830
(I.R.S. employer
identification no.)

Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110
Parsippany, New Jersey (Address of principal executive offices) 07054
(Zip code)

Debt Securities
and Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt Securities

(Title of the indenture securities)

1.General information.  Furnish the following information as to the trustee:

(a)Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject.

Name	Address
Comptroller of the Currency United States Department of the Treasury	Washington, DC 20219
Federal Reserve Bank	San Francisco, CA 94105
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	Washington, DC 20429

(b)Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

Yes.

2.Affiliations with Obligor.

If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.

None.

16.List of Exhibits.

Exhibits identified in parentheses below, on file with the Commission, are incorporated herein by reference as an exhibit hereto, pursuant to Rule 7a-29 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Act”) and 17 C.F.R. 229.10(d).

1.A copy of the articles of association of The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., formerly known as The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. (Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948 and Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152875).

2.A copy of certificate of authority of the trustee to commence business. (Exhibit 2 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948).

3.A copy of the authorization of the trustee to exercise corporate trust powers (Exhibit 3 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152875).

4.A copy of the existing by-laws of the trustee (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-162713).

2

6.The consent of the trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152875).

7.A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.

3

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, the Trustee, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., a banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in The City of Los Angeles, and State of California, on the 15th day of May, 2013.

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
By:	/s/ Melonee Young
Name:	Melonee Young
Title:	Vice President

4

EXHIBIT 7

Consolidated Report of Condition of

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

of 400 South Hope Street, Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90071

At the close of business March 31, 2013, published in accordance with Federal regulatory authority instructions.

	Dollar amounts
	in thousands
ASSETS
Cash and balances due from depository institutions:
Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin	660
Interest-bearing balances	354
Securities:
Held-to-maturity securities	0
Available-for-sale securities	689,326
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell:
Federal funds sold	76,200
Securities purchased under agreements to resell	0
Loans and lease financing receivables:
Loans and leases held for sale	0
Loans and leases, net of unearned income	0
LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses	0
Loans and leases, net of unearned income and allowance	0
Trading assets	0
Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases)	5,449
Other real estate owned	0
Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies	0
Direct and indirect investments in real estate ventures	0
Intangible assets:
Goodwill	856,313
Other intangible assets	152,015
Other assets	141,868
Total assets	$	1,922,185

LIABILITIES
Deposits:
In domestic offices	536
Noninterest-bearing	536
Interest-bearing	0
Not applicable
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase:
Federal funds purchased	0
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase	0
Trading liabilities	0
Other borrowed money:
(includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases)	0
Not applicable
Not applicable
Subordinated notes and debentures	0
Other liabilities	242,248
Total liabilities	242,784
Not applicable
EQUITY CAPITAL
Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus	0
Common stock	1,000
Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)	1,121,615
Not available
Retained earnings	552,729
Accumulated other comprehensive income	4,057
Other equity capital components	0
Not available
Total bank equity capital	1,679,401
Noncontrolling (minority) interests in consolidated subsidiaries	0
Total equity capital	1,679,401
Total liabilities and equity capital	1,922,185

I, Cherisse Waligura, CFO of the above-named bank do hereby declare that the Reports of Condition and Income (including the supporting schedules) for this report date have been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Cherisse Waligura                )               CFO

We, the undersigned directors (trustees), attest to the correctness of the Report of Condition (including the supporting schedules) for this report date and declare that it has been examined by us and to the best of our knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true and correct.

Troy Kilpatrick, President                  )

Frank P. Sulzberger, Director             )               Directors (Trustees)

William D. Lindelof, Director            )

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