Kraft Heinz aims to challenge pasta sauces status quo

Intent on shaking up the pasta sauces category, Kraft Heinz has introduced a range of high-quality, ready-to-use Heinz Pasta Sauces. The seven-strong range will be the most significant innovation within the sauces category and has the scope to seriously challenge existing category leaders. The range will launch in February across grocery and convenience channels, as well as on the Heinz to Home platform.

The launch is being supported with a 360-degree campaign across TV, digital and OOH with the tagline “Ridiculously Late, Ridiculously Good.” Heinz will also support its customers in-store with disruptive activation highlighting a consumer competition.

The range includes innovative, exploratory flavours, such as Tomato & Lentil Ragu, Chunky Tomato & Mediterranean Veggies and Tomato, Mushroom & Pepper.  The core range includes: Tomato Sauce for Bolognese, Sundried Cherry Tomato & Basil, Tomato & Chilli, and Tomato, Mascarpone & Grana Padano Cheese.

Made in Italy with 100 per cent natural ingredients and no added sugar, the range delivers one of the “Five a Day”. Ingredients are printed on the front of the bottle for transparency and coloured printed caps have been used to stand out in a sea of red products on shelf and help consumers clearly identify the differences between each flavour.

The range is ideal for vegetarian diets and most of the range is suitable for vegan diets, with the exception of one cheese variant, that includes mascarpone and grana padano. With the rise of flexitarian diets, pasta cooking sauces have an enhanced opportunity to add flavour and richness to meat alternative dishes with 38 per cent of consumers claiming that innovative flavours are a top reason why they would spend more for a pasta sauce.

“Although Heinz is well known for its Tomato Ketchup, not many people know that the company produces its own tomato seeds,” said Georgiana (Jojo) de Noronha, President Northern Europe. “Heinz is a key player in the global tomato market, producing more than five billion naturally-bred seeds per year via a network of 1,000 growers. Despite this extensive agriculture heritage and tomato expertise, this is the first pasta sauce to be launched in the UK under the Heinz brand—a market where Heinz is annually ranked amongst the most loved food brands.”

The category is estimated to see 19.2 per cent rise in value sales, growing to £962 million.

New Ventures Director at Kraft Heinz, Caio Fontenele, added:

“Although taste remains king, consumers expect more from their pasta sauces. They are looking for healthier options, provenance and quality of ingredients; all of this from a brand they trust. We believe we delivered exactly that. At Heinz, we believe our sauces are as good as their ingredients. The new Heinz pasta sauces use only the best natural ingredients that consumers can identify and find in their kitchens.”