With growing innovation momentum, Kraft Heinz actively adapts to the trends of high-protein and high-fiber products.
路透社2026/10/06 10:41Kraft Heinz launches “Kraft Mac & Cheese-Flavored Ramen.” “Our pace of innovation has not been fast enough,” said the North American President. CEO Steve Cahillane is working to revitalize the packaged food company. While Kraft Heinz shares are down this year, the company’s performance has outpaced its peers. Kraft Heinz is strongly supporting health trends such as high-protein and high-fiber lifestyles, investing heavily in marketing, and trying to make up for lost time in innovation, the company’s North American President told Reuters. Under CEO Steve Cahillane, who took over in January, the U.S. packaged food company has dropped plans to split its business in two and allocated $700 million this year for marketing and R&D to reverse years of declining market share. This year, the company launched the high-protein “PowerMac & Cheese” and added healthier variations to its portfolio, featuring lower sugar and salt with more protein and dietary fiber. Kraft Heinz is also venturing into new product categories: on Tuesday, it launched a cheese-flavored ramen in the U.S., aiming to meet American consumers’ rising demand for diverse flavors and convenience. “We are engaging more actively in different segments and disrupting certain categories,” Nico Amaya said in an interview, specifically mentioning the $2.7 billion ramen market, mostly led by small businesses. “Frankly, our pace of innovation has not been fast enough,” he added. “We have some excellent brands, but we haven’t invested in them in the past.” This year, marketing and R&D spending for brands like PowerMac increased by 35%, and Amaya stated Kraft Heinz will maintain this level of investment in the future. CEO Cahillane expects innovation projects to accelerate by 2027. Despite a roughly 10% decline in share price this year, Kraft Heinz’s performance has still outdone other U.S. packaged food companies like Conagra Brands, General Mills, and PepsiCo. Persistent inflation is pressuring household budgets, pushing consumers toward cheaper private-label alternatives; meanwhile, the rapid adoption of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs is forcing packaged food makers to adjust product formulations to satisfy demand for healthier foods. Kraft Heinz has already launched its cheese-flavored ramen in Canada. Amaya said the company also introduced smaller portion “PowerMac” cups and has reformulated more than 1,000 products, increasing protein and dietary fiber while reducing added sugar and fat. “The trend toward healthier products in many respects will be here for the long-term,” Amaya told Reuters. “And protein will become a vital part of everyone’s diet.” (Note: This Reuters report was automatically translated into several languages for convenience. Because automated translation may be inaccurate or lack proper context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of automated translations and accepts no liability for any damages or losses that may result from their use.)
Alexander Marrow
Reuters, October 6 - Kraft Heinz KHC.N is strongly supporting the trend towards healthier lifestyles, such as high-protein and high-fiber products, while investing heavily in marketing and attempting to make up for lost time in innovation, the company’s North America President told Reuters.
Under the leadership of Steve Cahillane, who became CEO in January, the U.S. packaged food company has abandoned its plan to split into two businesses (link), and this year allocated $700 million for marketing and R&D to reverse years of declining market share.
This year the company launched its high-protein “PowerMac & Cheese” products and is offering more varieties of healthier products in its portfolio, with lower sugar and salt content, and higher protein and dietary fiber.
Kraft Heinz is also exploring new product categories. On Tuesday, the company launched a cheese-flavored ramen noodle in the U.S., hoping to meet the growing demand for diverse flavors and convenience among U.S. consumers.
“We are becoming more active in different fields, disrupting some categories,” said Nico Amaya in an interview, specifically referring to the $2.7 billion ramen market led by small businesses.
“Frankly, our pace of innovation has not been fast enough,” he said. “We have some great brands, but we haven’t invested in them in the past.”
This year, marketing and R&D spending for brands like PowerMac increased by 35%, Amaya said, and Kraft Heinz will maintain this level of spending going forward.
CEO Steve Cahillane expects innovation projects to accelerate by 2027 (link). Despite shares falling about 10% this year, Kraft Heinz has still outperformed other U.S. packaged food peers, including Conagra Brands CAG.N, General Mills GIS.N and PepsiCo PEP.O.
Persistent inflation has put pressure on household budgets, prompting consumers to turn to cheaper private label alternatives; meanwhile, the rapid popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs is forcing packaged food manufacturers to reformulate to meet consumer demand for healthier foods.
Kraft Heinz has already introduced its cheese-flavored ramen product in Canada.
Amaya said the company has also launched a smaller “PowerMac” cup product and has adjusted more than 1,000 recipes, adding protein and dietary fiber while reducing added sugar and fat.
“The trend towards healthier products in many aspects will be long-lasting,” Nico Amaya told Reuters. “Protein will become an indispensable part of everyone’s diet.”
(For the convenience of non-English speakers, Reuters has automated the translation of its reports into several other languages. As automated translation may contain errors or lack required context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of the automated translation text and provides it solely for readers’ convenience. Reuters accepts no liability for any harm or loss resulting from the use of the automated translation feature.)
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
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