Campbell Soup Co. announced it will sell its Australian snack foods business and close a plant in Canada in order to cut costs and focus on its core businesses such as soup.

Campbell said it expects these actions to modestly boost earnings in fiscal year 2009. The Canadian plant in Listowel, Ontario, employs about 500 people and makes frozen products, including soup, entrees and Pepperidge Farm products, as well as ramen noodles. Campbell said it will operate the plant for 12 months and then transfer production to contract manufacturers and its Downingtown, Penn., facility.