Illinois-based Sara Lee Corp. (SLE) might consider acquisitions to boost its food and coffee divisions, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brenda Barnes.

Sara Lee could handle a large purchase, the report cited Barnes as saying in an interview in New York.

Barnes said the company has simplified its technology systems, gotten out of underperforming businesses and introduced better products based on consumer research in recent years, according to the report.

"We now have the capability to do this," she was quoted as saying, without specifying the amount the company is willing to spend on acquisitions. "Early on, we didn't earn the right to buy."

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