Latest news with #Heinz
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
A growing number of shoppers are avoiding this ingredient
Trying to keep up with food and wellness trends feels like a full-time job. It started with organic. Then came gluten-free. Then vegan, non-GMO, Whole30, name it. Grocery store shelves are now a sea of claims, labels, and certifications, each one shouting for attention and promising to be the "cleaner," "better," or "safer" option. Shoppers are flipping packages over, scanning ingredient lists, and thinking twice before tossing something in the cart. Related: Heinz announces a genius new product fans will love They're not just looking for what a product has. They're zeroing in on what it leaves out. And now, a new category of ingredients is getting side-eyed. It's not sugar, gluten, or carbs this time. It's something that weaseled its way into everything from salad dressing to snack that was easy to miss, until now. That rising skepticism paved the way for a new kind of label, one that's now quietly changing what ends up in people's carts. Image source: Getty Images The ingredient getting dragged? Industrial seed oils. Think: canola, soybean, sunflower, and corn. These weren't even part of the American diet a century ago. Now, they can make up over 20% of the average person's daily calories. You'll find them in everything: frozen meals, sauces, baked goods, even "healthy" snacks. They're cheap. They're stable. And they've quietly become a food industry favorite. But not everyone's convinced they belong in our food. Shoppers are starting to question their heavy refining, sky-high omega-6 levels, and ultra-processed vibes. To meet that growing concern, brands are now turning to Seed Oil Free Certified - a label that launched in 2023 but is gaining serious momentum in 2025. Related: Forget the ice cream man, try this healthy take on a summer treat It's the first official certification for products made without industrial seed oils. And the brands who jumped on board are already reaping the benefits. According to a press release, Seed Oil Free Certified products saw a 216% sales spike in Q1 2025 compared to the year prior. Even more eye-popping, these products made a 410% jump in just the most recent 12-week period. And that growth isn't limited to niche wellness aisles. Sales are booming in both natural and conventional retail. What started as a quiet movement is quickly becoming a shelf-shaking trend. For shoppers, the seal keeps things simple. For brands, it's a fast track to standing out. According to the Seed Oil Free Alliance, certified brands are seeing stronger customer interest, better shelf velocity, and real traction with ingredient-conscious buyers. "We've seen firsthand the positive impact it has had on our brand," said Daily Crunch Co-founder Laurel Orley. More on retail: Starbucks changes drink prices (you might like it)Iconic Disney theme park treat comes to grocery storesGeneral Mills makes huge change to your favorite cereals "Displaying the Seed Oil Free Certified seal on our packaging helps customers identify Daily Crunch as a product aligned with their values." And those values are driving real decisions. A recent nationwide survey found that 28% of U.S. consumers are now actively trying to avoid seed oils. They're looking for simpler ingredients, less industrial processing, and more transparency. For brands, it's not just about putting a new label on the front. It's about building trust in an aisle full of noise. And the numbers don't lie: shoppers are buying in. A full list of Seed Oil Free Certified products can be found at Related: The diet mistake 71% of Americans are trying to fix The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Mum distraught to find 'metal screw' in son's baby food and says it made him ill
An Irish mum was left aghast after discovering a 'metal screw' in a jar of baby food she was giving to her young son. The Lisburn-based mother, known as Kelly, was gobsmacked to find the foreign object in a jar of Heinz baby food purchased from her local Tesco. While Tesco has expressed uncertainty about how the item got into the jar, Heinz insists it didn't come from their factory. Chatting on The Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster on Wednesday, Kelly recounted how she had picked up the Heinz By Nature Spaghetti Bolognese toddler meal from her nearby Tesco for her one year old son Reuben. She had already fed him half the jar before stumbling upon the "absolutely terrifying" discovery of a sharp piece concealed within the meal. "When I was putting it (the food) out, a rivet or nail type item, clearly metal, fell out of the jar. It seemed to be lightweight and light in colour. I'm no metal expert but my guess would be that it's an aluminium rivet and about the size of your thumbnail. "I was completely shocked and didn't know what to think. I called my partner in and we stood there looking at it. We didn't know what to do. I think the worst bit was that these jars keep and I had already fed the baby half of that jar the day before. That was the frightening part about it, it was the second half of the jar that I found the rivet in," reports Belfast Live. "Obviously there's two issues when you find something in a jar of baby food. The main one is the choking hazard when babies are only learning how to chew and how to manage different foods. As an adult we would know to spit that out but babies don't know that so if there's metal in there they'd easily swallow that, choke on it or it'd cause all sorts of issues with its insides. I'm just grateful that I did see it before it was fed to him." Kelly wasted no time getting in touch with Heinz, and they were quick to respond, offering a letter and a £10 (€12) voucher as "a sincere gesture". Explaining further, she recounted, "They (Heinz) were very good at the start and obviously concerned about it. They sent out a package for me to return the piece of metal and the jar lid. Apparently that's how they trace the batch. That came out very quickly in the first class post and returned for them to investigate it. They came back with a letter, again that was very quick, with the outcome of it." However, Kelly expressed dissatisfaction with their response: "They said they'd given the matter their careful attention and consideration that the item is metal (which was obvious) but regrettably we cannot come to any definitive conclusion on its source. "Our processes include powerful magnets and metal detectors and we cannot explain how this issue came to be associated with our product. So there's no outcome and to me that hasn't been investigated properly. There's no mention in the letter of them doing a batch recall, which was the part that concerned me most. "If something has gone wrong in that batch room machinery and there were rivets falling off into the food, in my opinion that whole batch should be recalled. Whether they've done that and not mentioned it in the letter, I don't know. And there's nothing in Tesco to say there's been a recall so to my knowledge it's not being recalled." Kelly says she had to take Reuben to hospital two days later due to a rash all over his body: "It sounds silly now but at the time I didn't associate it with that and now looking back, it could potentially be due to some contamination from that metal. We don't know and we'll never know now." At this stage it is not known how the nail found its way into the product or if this was an isolated incident and similar items have been found in any other products. "That's not enough for me - if you don't know then production needs to stop until you do know. This is metal in baby food," Kelly added. "And for me this was never about money, compensation or anything like that. It literally was a concern and when they came back to say 'here's a voucher', it was for £10 and that's what Heinz valued this incident as. "To me that outraged me, it's insulting, my son could have choked on this and they valued that incident with £10 - would that even get you two bottles of brown sauce because nobody in their right mind would buy any more baby food off them?". After being unimpressed with Heinz's approach, Kelly reached out to Tesco, who explained they couldn't look into the issue as she didn't have the metal shard anymore, having sent it back to Heinz already. Heinz has not yet made a statement regarding the matter. Meanwhile, a Tesco representative shared: "We were sorry to hear about this customer's experience with a Heinz product. We work closely with branded suppliers to ensure that they have robust quality procedures in place and are in ongoing conversations with the supplier about the outcome of their investigation."
Fast Company
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
DJ Mustard just created Heinz's first new mustard in a decade
For years, Heinz has consistently innovated in the ketchup space. There's been jalapeño ketchup, chipotle ketchup, mayochup, and even pickle ketchup. Other sauces have gotten similarly modernized, with stunt products like a Taylor Swift-inspired ranch dressing and a hot-pink Barbie barbecue sauce. Notably forgotten amid this flurry of condiment exploration? Mustard. Now Heinz is rectifying that error, officially announcing the release of the condiment Heinz Mustaaaaaard, the brand's first new mustard product in 10 years. The smoky-sweet chipotle honey mustard will debut for a two-week period at Buffalo Wild Wings, followed by a limited-time nationwide release at Target, 7-Eleven, and Heinz Mustaaaaaard was initially teased back in February, when Heinz revealed it would be collaborating on the sauce with record producer DJ Mustard (so named because of his given first name, Dijon). The timing was spot-on—Mustard had just exploded in the cultural zeitgeist after a callout of his name in Kendrick Lamar's song 'tv off' inspired memes and resulted in Mustard joining the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. At the time, Heinz named Mustard as its official 'chief mustard officer.' But, according to the team at Heinz, this wasn't just a collaboration with Mustard's name attached to it: The producer met with Heinz's R&D team in person to select the final flavor, down to the specific proportions of each ingredient chosen. DJ Mustard mixes a mustard Most people are probably familiar with Mustard through his music and his recently viral collaboration with Lamar. Fewer are aware of his side hustle as a grill master. Heinz pitched a potential collaboration with Mustard more than a year before the official partnership announcement in February. During that time the team learned that Mustard already had a 'love for Heinz,' says Peter Hall, president of elevation for Heinz North America. Mustard shared that he had long used Heinz mustard as his go-to staple when grilling, and that he had a particular penchant for sweeter mustards. In a press release, the artist said Heinz mustard has always been the most important ingredient among his grilling 'secret weapons,' noting, 'I knew I wanted to make my own sauce one day, something that wouldn't be like anything else out there. Adding mustard gives you that nice browning, bark formation, and grilling, but that's just step one.' The actual creation of Mustard's mustard was a four-month-long process, starting with the music producer personally visiting Heinz headquarters in Pittsburgh to help mix up the recipe—a kind of access that Heinz has never granted to a celebrity collaborator in the past. Richard Misutka, director of R&D for Kraft Heinz Elevation Brands, worked directly with Mustard during his visit. He says the team prepped around 10 different add-on flavors that might pair well with mustard, including honey, chipotle, jalapeño, bacon, caramelized onion, and even mango. Then, to ensure that they could replicate each potential recipe, all of the various combination components were weighed before they were mixed and tasted by Mustard. 'We started with our Heinz yellow mustard, and then we started playing around with some of the flavors,' Misutka says. 'True to Mustard's reputation, he liked the honey, so instead of playing around with the yellow mustard, we pivoted to the Heinz honey mustard.' At that point, Misutka recalls, Mustard chose to add an extra shot of honey to the standard recipe. 'Then we looked at some of the other flavors to help accentuate the experience. We pushed him out of his comfort zone a little bit, because we knew he did not like spicy foods. So we're like, 'Let's just try the chipotle here and see what you think.' He absolutely loved it.' While bacon and mango were both possible contenders for Mustard's top pick, the chipotle combination ultimately won out. 'I think it has tremendous balance. I mean, you have the sweetness, you have the vinegar tartness, you have the smokiness from the chipotle, as well as the heat,' Misutka says. 'It's really a great product, and it was a tremendous experience.' Mustard summed up his estimation of the product in his own words: 'This is the one, the 'Mustard' of all mustards.' The extended deadline for Fast Company's Next Big Things in Tech Awards is this Friday, June 27, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Daily Mirror
23-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
I tried salad cream from nine supermarkets - winner was £1.40 cheaper than Heinz
We tried salad creams from Asda, Aldi, Lidl, M&S, Waitrose, Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury's to see which was the best and how they compared to iconic brand Heinz. Salad cream, with its tangy kick and creamy texture, is a staple in many British households. Often used as a salad dressing, sandwich spread or even a dip, this pale condiment owes its unique flavour to vinegar. The first commercially produced salad cream was introduced by Heinz in 1914, after eight years of perfecting the recipe. Since then, various supermarkets have launched their own versions of this iconic sauce. I recently put salad creams from Asda, Aldi, Lidl, M&S, Waitrose, Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury's to the test to see how they stack up against the original Heinz, reports the Express. 1. Asda - £2 for 420g This one was a hit, pairing well with both bread and salad items like cucumber. Score: 7/10. 2. Aldi - 99p for 520g While it didn't quite measure up to the competition, it wasn't unpleasant. Score: 5/10. 3. Lidl - £1.09 for 500ml This version was deemed too tangy compared to others and didn't make for an enjoyable eating experience. Score: 3/10. 4. M&S - £1.50 for 440g This condiment shone when used in a sandwich, especially when other ingredients were present to balance out the cream. Score: 6/10. 5. Waitrose - £1.55 for 450g With a noticeable mustard flavour, it didn't fare well as a dip or on bread, which was a letdown. Score: 2/10. 6. Morrisons - £1.60 for 420g This one leaned more towards mayonnaise than any other salad cream we sampled. Score: 5/10. 7. Tesco - £1.70 for 450ml The product lacked a bit of punch in the flavour department, which was disappointing, but it did pair well with cheese and crusty bread. Score: 5/10. 8. Heinz - £3 for 425g This one had a pleasing texture, although it was a tad too runny, resulting in it pouring out of the bottle without any squeeze. 9. Sainsbury's - £1.60 for 420g This salad cream was full of flavour without being overly tangy and boasted an excellent consistency. It emerged as the winner in our taste test, and considering its price, it certainly outshone Heinz.
Daily Mirror
21-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Heinz launches new ketchup in UK but ditches two major ingredients
For those looking to make more health consious choices, Heinz has released a brand new ketchup called Heinz Tomato Ketchup Zero but it's missing two key ingredients Heinz has released a brand new tomato ketchup recipe for health conscious fans - and it's packed with even more tomatoes, but it's missing two key components. The famous Tommy K sauce is perfect to dunk your chips, layer onto a burger or squirt into your bacon sandwich, and now the brand new Heinz Tomato Ketchup Zero is promising a richer and bolder taste with zero added sugar and salt. But when you think of items with no salt or sugar, you tend to assume it won't be as tasty. However to combat this, Heinz have packed 35% more tomatoes into each bottle, so the taste isn't compromised with zero sugar and salt and it's great for those looking to make more conscious health choices. The brand have listened to their customers, and Heinz's latest sauce innovation comes after a recent survey of 50,000 Brits revealed that the number one attribute sought when deciding what to eat or drink was healthier choices with less sugar and salt. It means it's met the demand for healthier foods by turning up the tomato and turning down the added salt and sugar. It's clear ketchup fans are impressed, as a taste test study revealed 9 in 10 people said Heinz Zero Added Sugar & Salt Tomato Ketchup delivers on the iconic quality they expect from the brand Alexandra Bayet, Head of Innovation for Tomato Ketchup, Europe said: "Consumers expect 'Zero' products to fall flat on flavour – because 'Zero' often means 'less'. We wanted to turn that on its head and create a ketchup that's all about more of what you love, even with fewer ingredients. "Developed using our 150-year sauce know-how, taste expertise and containing 35% more sun-ripened tomatoes, grown especially for Heinz, our new Heinz Zero Added Sugar & Salt Tomato Ketchup, delivers a bold, satisfying taste that lives up to the standard set by our iconic original. "So, whether you're choosing Zero or Classic, you can be confident it will taste like Heinz. And when it comes to ketchup, of course It Has To Be Heinz". It comes after Heinz recently axed their tartare sauce but revamped it and launched Fish & Chips Sauce, also known as 'Tartare 2.0'. The ingredients include gherkins, dill, salt, parsley and mustard. While the bottle wears the 'Fish & Chips Sauce' label, the ingredients are listed in a style that's similar to the classic tartare sauce. On the packaging, Heinz has also listed it as 'Tartare Sauce', bringing back the nostalgia. The Tartare sauce has been a classic to seafood dishes like the fish and chips, and Heinz has described the new condiment as 'fresh and herby' which was 'posed to become Britain's new go-to pairing for fish dinners - and, of course, the nation's beloved dish, fish & chips.'
