Heinz is responding to calls for healthier product formulations with a reduced salt and sugar variant of its iconic tomato ketchup.
Due to hit shelves at the beginning of the new year and timed to coincide with healthy eating resolutions, Reduced Sugar & Salt Tomato Ketchup taps into growing demand for products that are lower in salt and kinder on the waistline, according to Heinz.
It also hopes the product, which at £1.59 for a 570g top-down bottle is 20p more than its standard equivalent, will add value to the UK tomato ketchup category, which is valued at £118m.
The new formulation has 30% less added sugar and salt than the company's standard ketchup and contains no artificial sweeteners, colours, flavours or preservatives.
Its arrival follows Heinz's launch of Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beanz two years ago, and the ketchup bottles will carry a similar light blue label to that used for the beans.
"Heinz is committed to unlocking further growth in the ketchup category through innovation and a close understanding of consumers' needs," said marketing manager Caroline Clarke. "We are confident the new product will bring new consumers to the category, particularly those who are not currently heavy ketchup users."
According to Heinz, the reformulated product scored well in its consumer taste tests, achieving a 100% score in the 'likelihood of success' category.
It is unlikely, however, that Heinz will be able to advertise the new product on TV during family viewing slots under Ofcom's proposed new advertising restrictions despite its healthy makeover.
Ofcom will use the FSA's nutrient profiling system to decide if a food is high in fat, sugar and salt before allowing ads in slots watched by a larger than average number of children. Although the benefits of healthy ingredients count towards a food's rating, this system is based on 100g portions and not a typical serving, which in ketchup's case is 20g.
Due to hit shelves at the beginning of the new year and timed to coincide with healthy eating resolutions, Reduced Sugar & Salt Tomato Ketchup taps into growing demand for products that are lower in salt and kinder on the waistline, according to Heinz.
It also hopes the product, which at £1.59 for a 570g top-down bottle is 20p more than its standard equivalent, will add value to the UK tomato ketchup category, which is valued at £118m.
The new formulation has 30% less added sugar and salt than the company's standard ketchup and contains no artificial sweeteners, colours, flavours or preservatives.
Its arrival follows Heinz's launch of Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beanz two years ago, and the ketchup bottles will carry a similar light blue label to that used for the beans.
"Heinz is committed to unlocking further growth in the ketchup category through innovation and a close understanding of consumers' needs," said marketing manager Caroline Clarke. "We are confident the new product will bring new consumers to the category, particularly those who are not currently heavy ketchup users."
According to Heinz, the reformulated product scored well in its consumer taste tests, achieving a 100% score in the 'likelihood of success' category.
It is unlikely, however, that Heinz will be able to advertise the new product on TV during family viewing slots under Ofcom's proposed new advertising restrictions despite its healthy makeover.
Ofcom will use the FSA's nutrient profiling system to decide if a food is high in fat, sugar and salt before allowing ads in slots watched by a larger than average number of children. Although the benefits of healthy ingredients count towards a food's rating, this system is based on 100g portions and not a typical serving, which in ketchup's case is 20g.
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