HJ Heinz has entered the instant soup category in the UK with Heinz Squeeze & Stir, a concentrated purée soup. The soup is made from a concentrated purée available in lightweight, squeezable sachets, with a RRP of GBP0.59 (US$0.94). Consumers have to squeeze the soup into a cup, add boiling water and stir. The Heinz Squeeze & Stir range comprises Cream of Tomato; Mediterranean Vegetable; and Cream of Tomato with Basil and Minestrone lines. It will go on sale this month. Matthew Cullum,... ...Read more »

In a shakeup of its Australian operations, Heinz has announced it will move its beetroot, sauces and some of its meals from factories at Girgarre, Brisbane and Wagga Wagga, to its facility in Hastings, New Zealand, while investing $25 million in its Echuca baby food plant and beverage production in Brisbane. “Heinz operates a number of factories across Australia and New Zealand.  Our decision to consolidate manufacturing is a critical step in our plan to become more competitive in a challenging... ...Read more »

Heinz has launched a new campaign for its iconic baked beans, asking Australians what “Beanz Meanz” to them. The campaign harks back to the equally iconic “Beanz meanz Heinz” advertising campaign, which ran from 1967 for thirty years, and features celebrities and ordinary Australians talking about their memories of Heinz Beanz. The campaign is supported by a competition, featuring $100,000 cash prizes for the ten best stories associated with Heinz Beanz, to be submitted online... ...Read more »

The war between manufacturers of infant formula and activist group Greenpeace has taken another step, with industry lobby group the Infant Nutrition Council stating that they are not capable of producing formula without any genetically modified content, and that such a demand is “unrealistic and unworkable” – despite the fact that their products are not accordingly labelled. The statement was made by the Council, which represents a number of baby food manufacturers, including Heinz,... ...Read more »

This year’s Food and Drink Innovation Dialogue, held in the UK town of Windsor this week, has heard what factors are affecting NPD in our sector. The likes of Heinz, United Biscuits, Baxters Food Group and Mead Johnson Nutrition have headed to the event to discuss issues including reformulation and the EU health claims legislation. Here are some of the more notable soundbites. Innovation and Reformulation “What work can be done to look at the influence of reformulation? Satisfying... ...Read more »

The Coca-Cola Company has launched new plant-based recyclable plastic bottles for its Dasani bottled water and Odawalla juices, juice drinks, smoothies and protein drinks across the US. The new PlantBottle packaging is made from sugarcane ethanol instead of fossil fuels. Single-serve Odwalla packages are made from “up to 100 percent” plant-based materials with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic. PET bottles for Dasani are made with “up to 30 percent” plant-based materials. The... ...Read more »

Heinz has announced the launch of two chili-flavoured ketchup varieties in the UK. The company said today (22 March) that the Heinz Tomato Ketchup with Fiery Chili and Heinz Tomato Ketchup with Chili will respond to consumer demand for “more adventurous flavours”. Heinz said its ketchup with fiery chilli will “satisfy the taste buds of more adventurous consumers”, while the chili flavour has been “created for those who prefer a milder chilli flavour to liven up meal... ...Read more »

The industrial action at Heinz’s flagship UK production site could rumble on into next week with staff planning another 24-hour strike tomorrow (21 December). Jennie Formby, national officer for the Unite union, told just-food today that another stoppage was being lined up to take place at the Kitt Green plant from 06:00 on Tuesday until 06:00 on Wednesday. Workers at the plant in north-west England have already held one 24-hour strike this week after rejecting what they labelled a “below-inflation”... ...Read more »

Kellogg’s is the top packaged food brand in the U.S. according to Interbrand’s latest annual ranking of the 100 “Best Global Brands”. The cereal company was ranked number 35 – down one on a year earlier – in a study that analysed the value of global brands, studying their financial performance, their role in the purchase decision process and the strength of the brand to continue to secure earnings for their owner. Other food manufacturers on the list include Heinz... ...Read more »

Consumer group CHOICE has conducted a review of supermarket own brand foods, comparing them to various popular branded equivalents in terms of nutrition and taste. “The rise in supermarket-own brands has been phenomenal in Australia, with Coles and Woolworths leading the charge, closely followed by the popular discount chain, Aldi,” wrote CHOICE author Rebecca Gatto. “Private labels now account for almost a quarter of all grocery sales, and there are few supermarket categories that... ...Read more »