Breaking News: Heinz Revamps Ketchup Packets
The ketchup packet has been around for more than 40 years, and complaints about it for nearly as long: too messy, too small, too hard to open. Now ketchup giant H.J. Heinz Co. is unveiling the first major packaging change to the to-go condiment.
The new design has a base that’s more like a cup for dipping and also a tear-off end for squeezing, plus it holds three times as much ketchup than a traditional packet.
“The packet has long been the bane of our consumers,” said Dave Ciesinski, vice president of Heinz Ketchup. “The biggest complaint is there is no way to dip and eat it on-the-go.”
Heinz has long struggled to find a design that lets diners dip or squeeze ketchup that could also be sold at a price acceptable to its restaurant customers. For this effort, it bought its design team a used minivan two years ago to test if their ideas really worked while eating on the road.
Heinz sells more than 11 million cases of its ketchup packets in the U.S. every year and it will continue to sell the traditional packet. The new packet is in test markets in the Midwest and Southeast and will roll out at select fast-food restaurants in the fall.
Heinz is still working out prices with customers but said packets will cost a little more than regular packets.
Will they catch on? It’s hard telling, but the news may cheer some ketchup fans like Matt Kurtz, a 22-year-old student who finds the problems are as ubiquitous as the packets themselves.
The self-proclaimed ketchup aficionado became so annoyed two years ago after spilling ketchup on his jeans while on a road trip, he started one of hundreds of anti-ketchup packet groups on Facebook. He dubbed it “Prop 57” as a gentle poke at Heinz, saying it is to “draw awareness” to the packets’ shortcomings.
“I said ‘There has to be a better way’,” he said.
{CTV.ca/Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}
16 Responses to “Breaking News: Heinz Revamps Ketchup Packets”
2. Comment from anon
Time February 4, 2010 at 12:56 PM
Is the new packaging included in ‘57 varieties’
or not?
Does the ou have to write a new contrat?
3. Comment from Anonymous
Time February 4, 2010 at 1:17 PM
What planet are you on.
Heinz regular Ketchup is under the OU in the New York area.
4. Comment from Anonymous
Time February 4, 2010 at 1:37 PM
In Israel Heinz has a Rubin Hechsher!
5. Comment from haha
Time February 4, 2010 at 1:46 PM
1, its the same ketchup in your heimishe brand name
6. Comment from anonymous
Time February 4, 2010 at 2:04 PM
why exactly is this BREAKING news??
Noam Amdurski responds:
Can’t you laugh once in a while?
7. Comment from Anon
Time February 4, 2010 at 2:18 PM
Wow, can’t think of any other more exciting “Breaking News” then this.
8. Comment from Tanna Kamma
Time February 4, 2010 at 2:23 PM
Al tistakel b’kankan ela b’mah sheyesh bo.
9. Comment from k
Time February 4, 2010 at 2:46 PM
heinz was the first major national company to have the OU - Ben Azai - if your name is based on being single - I would imagine you have come across the packet
10. Comment from Chaim
Time February 4, 2010 at 4:40 PM
What took Heinz so long?? This should have been done DECADES ago.
11. Comment from Navoch
Time February 4, 2010 at 5:45 PM
“What planet are you on.
Heinz regular Ketchup is under the OU in the New York area”.
Once again: an example of sinas chinam. Was it really necessary for you to ask that question?
No, of course it wasn’t.
____
No. 5: Thank you!
12. Comment from Ayelet
Time February 4, 2010 at 6:04 PM
Will it be easier to open on Shabbat?
13. Comment from Anonymous
Time February 4, 2010 at 10:31 PM
I guess they had a little ‘ ketchin up’ to do…..
14. Comment from jeruselami
Time February 5, 2010 at 2:19 AM
it will probably be harder to open on shabbos now that u have a problem of making a kli
15. Comment from tzippi
Time February 5, 2010 at 9:29 AM
14, buy a full-sized container - cheaper and better for the environment, unless one’s just using these on an occasional basis.
16. Comment from KETCHUP MAVEN
Time February 5, 2010 at 3:04 PM
To postert #5:
It MOST definitely is NOT the same ketchup. The so-called heimishe brands do NOT produce their own products, but put their labels on products made under the no-frills “brand”. They are cheaper and quite inferior and allows unzere breeder to make even more money off of us, as if the unfairly higher prices that they already charge, anyway isn’t enough.
1. Comment from Ben Azai
Time February 4, 2010 at 12:46 PM
Is this stuff even kosher? Whose hashgacha does it have?