NEW YORK -- Ketchup and pickles have been a natural combination on a hamburger and hot dogs for decades. Now, thanks to Heinz, the two flavours have been combined into one condiment.
Rolling out to grocery store shelves in early 2024, Heinz鈥檚 newest flavour of its famous ketchup is called 鈥淧ickle Ketchup,鈥� which combines the 鈥渢angy and savoury flavour鈥� of pickles with the 鈥渦nmistakable taste鈥� of its ketchup.
For years, food companies have been making wacky flavours to generate consumer interest. Although the strange concoctions may not be designed to be huge sellers themselves, they are aimed at boosting brand recognition and conversations, which can often translate into bigger sales overall.
Coca-Cola recently added a new line of soft drink created by AI that allegedly tastes like the future, Velveeta made martinis amid a slowdown of sales of processed cheese and Mars Wrigley once sold Zombie Skittles a few years ago with a 鈥渞otten鈥� flavour, to surprise (and disgust) eaters.
They don鈥檛 always work out, however. Heinz鈥檚 purple ketchup experiment in 2000 has its own entry in the Museum of Failure.
In a statement Monday, the condiment was created to 鈥渄eliver on fans鈥� hunger for unique, elevated, and nuanced flavour experiences,鈥� the company said. The appeal for pickles is at a high, according to research cited by Heinz, with 73% of Americans reporting 鈥渢hat they enjoy the taste of pickles.鈥�
鈥淚ncreased desire for tasty, yet unexpected condiments has served as our innovation north star for the last several years,鈥� said Katie Peterson, director of Heinz Innovation at the Kraft Heinz Company, in a statement.
From chips to dips and even hard seltzer, the tangy taste profile of pickles has climbed over the past few years because younger consumers are looking for bigger and bolder flavours. The pickle taste is also subtle enough to combine with others, making it an appealing flavour to experiment with.
For Heinz, it鈥檚 been synonymous with the pickle as one of the country鈥檚 biggest producers, and the tiny gherkin was used in its logo for several decades. The food and beverage company also wants people to experiment with ketchup with a new Heinz Remix machine that lets people mix in flavour 鈥渆nhancers,鈥� including jalapeño and smoky chipotle.
Kraft Heinz is going all-in on innovation as it tries to enter a phase of growth after years of working to turn the business around. To stabilize the company, it focused on spotlighting its best-known brands like Kraft Mac & Cheese and Velveeta.
Through 2027, Kraft Heinz has a goal of bringing in an additional $2 billion in North American retail revenue from innovation.
