Creepy Condiment: Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup Is Back
Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup has returned, spooking grocery store shelves nationwide and making meals a scary good time. The tomato-gore-filled limited edition bottle features the Heinz Ketchup fans know and love and returns just in time for Halloween.
As the creepy condiment returns to dinner tables and costumes this Halloween season, Heinz enlisted the help of Toby, a vegetarian vampire influencer who gave up the traditional vampire lifestyle and chooses to eat something tastier instead – Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup. Through an informational PSA, Toby is on a mission to convert as many of his fellow vampires to enjoy Tomato Blood and, crucially, spare the necks of humans.
“Being a vegetarian vampire and only eating Heinz Tomato Blood comes with a lot of misconceptions,” said Toby, the 280 year-old vegetarian vampire, influencer and Tomato Blood activist. “I hope that by issuing a PSA, vampires nationwide will consider that humans can be more than just food and give friendship a chance while enjoying a tasty alternative.”
Heinz encourages ketchup lovers everywhere to be like Toby this Halloween season, joining vegetarian vampires everywhere and indulging in devilishly delicious Heinz Tomato Blood before it flies off shelves like bats from the sunlight. Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup is available at retailers nationwide starting in October. Additionally, human fans of Toby can head to select Six Flags locations to try the Totally Loaded “Bloody” Nacho Fries featuring Heinz Tomato Blood and, when the sun goes down, experience the thrill of Six Flags Fright Fest during the month of October.
“Whether dripped on a dinner plate or used as a creepy accessory, Heinz has been helping people make memories for years, and this Halloween is no exception,” says Alyssa Cicero, brand manager, communications, Heinz. “The limited-edition Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup bottle features the iconic ketchup people know and love in a design even vampires can appreciate.”
Fans can watch the vegetarian vampire film featuring Toby, himself, on Heinz’s YouTube channel and during the AMC Premiere of “Interview with a Vampire.” Heinz will also be taking over some of the most popular channels on Fandom and unveiling a special vampire-themed activation on Twitch.
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California Pizza Kitchen Dressings to Land on Store Shelves
California Pizza Kitchen has formed a strategic retail partnership with Litehouse Inc., the leading refrigerated salad dressing brand in the United States, according to IRI.
The partnership, designed to leverage growing consumer demand for creating restaurant-quality experiences in the home, will introduce a collection of new CPK-branded salad dressings inspired by the popular salads found on the brand’s in-restaurant menu. Scheduled for early 2023, the salad dressing launch will include a range of new flavor varieties and lean heavily into CPK’s reputation for creativity, fresh ingredients, and unexpected combinations.
CPK and Litehouse restaurant brands bring immediate consumer familiarity, trust and innovation credentials to retail categories that may need fresh thinking. The CPK brand consistently ranks at or near the top for “Brand Image” and “Trend Setting” in the Technomic restaurant brand quarterly report, giving the new dressings partnership built-in momentum.
“Our guests tell us they want more of their favorite CPK items available to bring to their at-home meal experiences,” said Jim Hyatt, CEO and president of CPK. “Our chefs make everything in-house from scratch daily, including our delicious salad dressings. Because we hold ourselves to the highest standards in quality and taste, it was important that our partner share the same exacting standards, and Litehouse is that perfect partner. We are proud to collaborate with a like-minded company to bring CPK dressings to the grocery store shelves for all the fans across the country who crave more than just our pizza.”
Recognized as a leader in refrigerated salad dressings, dips, sauces, cheese, and other innovative consumer packaged goods, Litehouse has made aggressive moves to expand its footprint into different sections of the grocery store, including center store. The CPK partnership allows Litehouse to build on its deep 50+ year history as a leader in freshness and quality, continue expanding into center store, and give consumers and retailers more of what they want – fresh and creative new products that can shake up and reinvigorate traditional categories.
“The Litehouse name is synonymous with best-in-class flavors and product innovations in the dressings and dips categories, just as CPK is in the restaurant category, making this partnership a perfect match,” said Kelly Prior, CEO of Litehouse. “Our category expertise, culinary excellence, and manufacturing capabilities allow us to bring innovative new products to market on an efficient timeline, and we are thrilled to partner with CPK to bring its beloved restaurant dressing recipes to life at retail.”
CPK-branded salad dressings will be available in the salad dressing aisle at grocery retailers nationwide in early 2023.
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Olive Oil Industry Leaders Ask FDA for U.S. Standards
Courtesy California Olive Ranch
The American Olive Oil Producers Association, North American Olive Oil Association and Deoleo, the world’s largest olive oil producer, submitted a joint citizen petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to adopt enforceable, science-based olive oil standards.
The petition puts forward clear definitions for olive oil grades – extra virgin, virgin, and olive oil – that will help American consumers better understand and have confidence in the quality and authenticity of the olive oil they buy. This clarity will also lead to a better grasp of nutrition benefits at different price points.
For two years, AOOPA, Deoleo and NAOOA have collaborated on determining more stringent olive oil grading and labeling standards that will benefit everyone. The new standards, which the FDA would be empowered to enforce following a final ruling and public comment period, would mark the first time the federal government has adopted mandatory regulations for olive oil, and it’s a key step toward ensuring a more honest, fair, and competitive industry.
“For the first time, top-selling brands such as California Olive Ranch, Pompeian, Bertolli, Filippo Berio, Colavita, Star, Cobram Estate and other major producers have joined forces to drive standards that will help eliminate consumer confusion around one of the healthiest and most delicious foods they can eat. Stricter labeling practices will allow consumers to feel confident that the olive oil they buy will deliver the quality, value, and health benefits they expect,” said NAOOA Chairman Marco de Ceglie.
If approved by the FDA, the standards would give growers, producers and bottlers an edge in a highly competitive market, and it will instate practices that drive a more trustworthy industry, according to the groups. The current joint petition responds to FDA’s request for a robust and unified effort from the industry, and it addresses all relevant points of reference.
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