Get All Access for $5/mo

Kraft Heinz's New Product Isn't 'Health-Forward' — and It Revealed Something 'Really Important' About Its Customers The just-released line boasts 15 items, many of which include cheese.

By Amanda Breen

SOPA Images | Getty Images

The Kraft Heinz Company is going back to basics in a bid to pump up its sales.

The company is reinventing the once-popular kitchen mainstay that also got a boost during the pandemic: the frozen dinner. Kraft Heinz unveiled its new frozen line Homebake 425°/:30 on Wednesday, CNN Business reported.

Related: Why Is Kraft Heinz Moving Higher | Entrepreneur

Homebake, which is available at retailers in the Midwest with plans to expand in the coming months, boasts 15 items, including five mains, five starchy sides and five vegetables — from chicken parmesan to cheesy rice. In fact, cheese is a common ingredient across the line, which VP of disruptive innovation at Kraft Heinz Alan Kleinerman admits isn't "health-forward."

But being healthful isn't the point — attracting customers with convenient-to-prepare comfort foods is.

Fortunately for Kraft Heinz, millennials and Gen Z are more open to frozen meals than older generations anyway: According to a 2021 Deloitte survey, 51% of those aged 18-34 consider frozen meat just as good as fresh, compared to 29% of those 55 and over.

In testing the new line, Kraft Heinz discovered that its customers want access to quick meals that would take them a lot of time and effort to make from scratch themselves — hence why a well-reviewed honey BBQ chicken didn't make the cut.

Related: Kraft Heinz CEO Reveals Inflation and Supply Chain Woes

"'I can take some chicken breasts, I can pour some barbecue sauce on it, stick it in the oven. That's easy,'" customers said, Kleinerman told CNN. "It didn't have that value-add," he said, calling the insight "really important."

Amanda Breen

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior Features Writer

Amanda Breen is a senior features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

How to Close the Trust Gap Between You and Your Team — 5 Strategies for Leaders

Trust is tanking in your workplace. Here's how to fix it and become the boss your team needs to succeed.

Health & Wellness

Get a Year of Unlimited Yoga Class Downloads for Only $23 Through June 17

Regular exercise has been proven to increase energy and focus, both of which are valuable to entrepreneurs and well-known benefits of yoga.

Growing a Business

He Immigrated to the U.S. and Got a Job at McDonald's — Then His Aversion to Being 'Too Comfortable' Led to a Fast-Growing Company That's Hard to Miss

Voyo Popovic launched his moving and storage company in 2018 — and he's been innovating in the industry ever since.

Business News

'Passing By Wide Margins': Elon Musk Celebrates His 'Guaranteed Win' of the Highest Pay Package in U.S. Corporate History

Musk's Tesla pay package is almost 140 times higher than the annual pay of other high-performing CEOs.

Starting a Business

I Left the Corporate World to Start a Chicken Coop Business — Here Are 3 Valuable Lessons I Learned Along the Way

Board meetings were traded for barnyards as a thriving new venture hatched.

Business Culture

Why Remote Work Policies Are Good For the Environment

Remote work policies are crucial for ESG guidelines. Embracing remote work can positively impact your business and employees.