EXHIBIT 10.48 First Amendment to Employment Agreement First Amendment, dated as of July 1, 1999, to the Employment Agreement, dated March 16, 1998, among Del Monte Foods Company and Wesley J. Smith (the "Agreement"). The Agreement is hereby amended as...

                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.48

                     First Amendment to Employment Agreement

        First Amendment, dated as of July 1, 1999, to the Employment Agreement,
dated March 16, 1998, among Del Monte Foods Company and Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx (the
"Agreement"). The Agreement is hereby amended as follows:

        1.      The amount "$425,000" is substituted for the amount "$400,000"
                in the first sentence of Section 2(a).

        2.      The percentage "60%" is substituted for the percentage "50%" in
                Section 2(b).

All other provisions of the Agreement remain in full force and effect.

        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this First Amendment as of
the date first written above.

                                   DEL MONTE FOODS COMPANY

                                   By: /s/ XXXX X. XXXXXX
                                      --------------------------------
                                   Name:  Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
                                   Title: Vice President, Corporate Human
                                          Resources

                                   /s/ XXXXXX X. XXXXX
                                   --------------------------------
                                   Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx