The Federal Trade Commission, clearing the way...

The Federal Trade Commission, clearing the way for the nation’s biggest merger, agreed not to challenge the $24.5-billion acquisition of RJR Nabisco by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.--provided that the two companies sell certain products to reduce their market shares in ketchup, Oriental foods and packaged nuts. The commission, ruling on a preliminary agreement announced earlier this week, said KKR must within a year sell the Chun King Oriental foods line of RJR Nabisco or the La Choy line of Beatrice/Hunt-Wesson Inc., a unit of KKR; the Planters nuts line of RJR Nabisco or Beatrice’s Fisher nuts line, and RJR Nabisco’s Del Monte ketchup or Beatrice’s Hunt’s ketchup. An FTC official said that, if the brands were combined, they would have “probably slightly under 60%” of total sales of $300 million in Oriental foods; about 25% of the $500 million ketchup market, and about 50% of $1.5 billion in sales of packaged nuts.