Exhibit 2.1

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                       CERTIFICATE OF OWNERSHIP AND MERGER
                                     MERGING
                          NABISCO GROUP HOLDINGS CORP.
                                      INTO
                           RJR NABISCO HOLDINGS CORP.

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                         Pursuant to Section 253 of the
                General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware


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         RJR Nabisco Holdings Corp. ("PARENT"), a corporation organized and
existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the
"GENERAL CORPORATION LAW"), does hereby certify that:

         FIRST: Parent was incorporated on October 25, 1988 pursuant to the
General Corporation Law and is existing thereunder.

         SECOND: Nabisco Group Holdings Corp. (the "SUBSIDIARY") was
incorporated on May 12, 1999 pursuant to the General Corporation Law and is
existing thereunder.

         THIRD: Parent owns of record 100% of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock (the "SHARES") of the Subsidiary, the Shares being the only stock of the
Subsidiary outstanding.

         FOURTH: The board of directors of Parent adopted the following
resolutions providing for the merger (the "MERGER") of Subsidiary into Parent,
which resolutions have not been amended or rescinded and are in full force and
effect:

                  RESOLVED, that the Plan of Merger in the form of Exhibit A
         hereto (the "PLAN OF MERGER") dated as of June 14, 1999 between Nabisco
         Group Holdings Corp. (the "SUBSIDIARY") and RJR Nabisco Holdings Corp.
         (the "PARENT"), pursuant to which the Subsidiary agreed to be merged
         with and into the Parent (the "MERGER"), at which time the separate
         existence of the Subsidiary shall cease, with the Parent as the
         surviving corporation (the "SURVIVING CORPORATION"), and the





         transactions contemplated by that Plan of Merger, are hereby approved,
         and pursuant to the Plan of Merger, the Merger shall become effective
         as of the date of the filing with the Secretary of State of the State
         of Delaware of the Certificate of Merger thereto (the "EFFECTIVE DATE")
         and such Certificate of Merger shall be filed with the Secretary of the
         State of Delaware.

                  RESOLVED, that, pursuant to the Plan of Merger, the Merger is
         hereby approved pursuant to the provisions of Section 253 of the
         General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

                  RESOLVED, that, pursuant to the Plan of Merger, at the
         Effective Date, the currently issued and outstanding shares of stock of
         Subsidiary, all of which are owned by Parent, shall be surrendered and
         canceled. No shares of stock of the Parent or other consideration shall
         be issued in exchange therefor.

                  RESOLVED, that, pursuant to the Plan of Merger, from and after
         the Effective Date, the name of the Surviving Corporation shall be
         "Nabisco Group Holdings Corp."

                  RESOLVED, that, pursuant to the Plan of Merger, from and after
         the Effective Date, the bylaws and certificate of incorporation of the
         Parent shall be the bylaws and certificate of incorporation of the
         Surviving Corporation.

                  RESOLVED, that the officers of the Subsidiary are authorized
         on behalf of the Subsidiary to take any and all actions, to execute,
         deliver and file any and all documents, agreements and instruments and
         to take any and all steps deemed by any such officer to be necessary or
         appropriate to carry out the purpose and intent of each of the
         foregoing resolutions, and all actions heretofore taken by any of them
         in furtherance thereof are hereby ratified and confirmed in all
         respects.


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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parent has caused this Certificate of Ownership
and Merger to be executed in its corporate name by its duly authorized officer
the 14th day of June, 1999.

                                  RJR NABISCO HOLDINGS CORP.


                                  By:     /s/ H. Colin McBride
                                      -----------------------------------
                                      Name:    H. Colin McBride
                                      Title:   Senior Vice President, Secretary
                                               and Associate General Counsel






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                                                                         ANNEX A

          PLAN OF MERGER

FIRST:    NABISCO GROUP HOLDINGS CORP., a corporation organized under the laws
          of the State of Delaware ("SUBSIDIARY"), shall merge with and into RJR
          NABISCO HOLDINGS CORP., a corporation organized under the laws of the
          State of Delaware ("PARENT"). The name of the surviving corporation is
          NABISCO GROUP HOLDINGS CORP.

SECOND:   The currently issued and outstanding shares of stock of Subsidiary,
          all of which are owned by Parent, shall be surrendered and canceled.
          No shares of stock of the Parent or other consideration shall be
          issued in exchange therefore.

THIRD:    The name of the Corporation surviving the merger shall be "NABISCO
          GROUP HOLDINGS Corp."

FOURTH:   The certificate of incorporation of Parent shall be the certificate of
          incorporation of the corporation surviving the merger.

FIFTH:    The bylaws of Parent shall be the bylaws of the corporation surviving
          the merger.

SIXTH:    The directors and officers of Parent shall be the directors and
          officers of the corporation surviving the merger and shall serve until
          their successors are selected.

SEVENTH:  The officers of each corporation party to the merger shall be and
          hereby are authorized to do all acts and things necessary and proper
          to effect the merger.

EIGHTH:   The merger shall be effective on the date of the filing with the
          Secretary of State of the State of Delaware of the Certificate of
          Merger relating thereto.

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