About 30 years ago, Gerber Products decided to sell proud parents more than just baby food - it would also offer them life insurance for their children.

Gerber Products, which dominates the baby food business with 72 percent of the market, now uses only mothers as operators for its 800 line.

"Gerber Products is perceived as a company with confusion in the ranks and that makes it vulnerable to a possible takeover," one arbitrager said yesterday.

The data enabled the magazine to woo Gerber Products as an advertiser.

Fremont was the predecessor to Gerber Products; the name was changed in 1941.

Sandoz offered to buy Gerber Products for $3.7 billion.

For the year ended March 31, Gerber Products had $1.2 billion in sales and profits of $127.5 million.

In 1967, executives at Gerber Products decided to offer a line of life insurance products aimed at young families.

Gerber Products was up 5 1/2, to 61 1/2, and volume was heavy.

Gerber Products has banned genetically modified ingredients from its baby food.