Exhibit 10.41

                        AMENDMENT TO CONSULTANT AGREEMENT


EFFECTIVE DATE:            December 30, 1997

PARTIES:

         Sparta Foods, Inc.
         1565 First Avenue NW
         New Brighton, MN 55112
         Fax Number: (612) 697-0600                                  ("Sparta")

         Catalina Specialty Foods, Inc.
         2550 Kasota Avenue
         St. Paul, MN 55108
         Fax Number: (612) 647-6855                              ("Consultant")
   
RECITALS:

     A. Sparta and Consultant are parties to that certain  Consultant  Agreement
dated January 1, 1996 (the "Agreement") as previously amended.

     B. The parties  desire to extend the term of the Agreement  pursuant to the
terms and provisions contained herein.

AGREEMENT:

     In consideration  of the mutual  covenants  contained herein and other good
and  valuable  consideration,  the  receipt and  sufficiency  of which is hereby
acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

     1. Extension of term. The parties hereby agree that the Agreement  shall be
renewed for an additional  one (1) year term to expire at the end of business on
December 31, 1998, unless terminated earlier pursuant to the terms of Section 10
of the Agreement.

     2.  Compensation.  Section  4 of the  Agreement  is hereby  amended  in its
entirety to read as follows:  

     Sparta  shall pay  Consultant  a base  consulting  fee of  Eighty  Thousand
     Dollars  ($80,000)  for the calendar  year January 1, through  December 31,
     1998.  Such amount shall be paid every two weeks during  calendar year 1998
     (in the amount of $3,076.92), payable in arrears on the same date as Sparta
     pays its employee payroll  obligations.  Any amount not paid when due shall
     be subject to a late payment fee computed daily at a rate equal to eighteen
     percent  (18%) per annum or the highest  rate  permitted  under  applicable
     usury law.
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     Consultant shall be eligible for a bonus if the bonus criteria set forth on
     Exhibit B attached hereto is met (the "Bonus").

     3.  Exhibit B.  Exhibit B is hereby  revised in its  entirety  and  revised
Exhibit B attached hereto shall supersede and take the place of Exhibit B to the
Agreement.

     4.  Continuing  Effect of Agreement.  The Agreement  shall continue in full
force and effect,  without  amendment,  through  December 31, 1997. For calendar
year 1998,  the  Agreement  shall  continue  in full force and effect  except as
expressly amended in this Amendment.  All provisions contained in Section 12 and
Section 13 of the Agreement shall apply to this Amendment.

     The parties  hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed by their duly
authorized  representative  to be  effective  as of the day and year first above
written.


                        CATALINA SPECIALTY FOODS, INC.
                                               ("Consultant")


                        By  /s/ Mary Catherine Gooch
                            Mary Catherine Gooch, President


                        SPARTA FOODS, INC.
                                               ("Sparta")


                        By  /s/ Joel P. Bachul
                            Joel P. Bachul, President and CEO


     The undersigned does hereby agree to continue to be bound by the provisions
of Section  2(j),  Section 6 and Section 11(c) as it applies to Section 6 of the
Agreement as amended herein.


                             /s/ Mary Catherine Gooch
                             MARY CATHERINE GOOCH