Tag Archives: kraft

Carlos Abrams-Rivera (left), and Miguel Patricio (right)

Kraft Heinz Announces New CEO

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Carlos Abrams-Rivera (left), and Miguel Patricio (right)

The Kraft Heinz Company has appointed Carlos Abrams-Rivera CEO and a member of the Board, effective January 1, 2024. Until then, Abrams-Rivera will continue in his role as President of the North America Zone with the added responsibilities of becoming President of Kraft Heinz, effective immediately. Abrams-Rivera will take over as CEO from Miguel Patricio, who has served as the Company’s CEO since 2019 and Chair of the Board since 2022. Patricio will transition to the role of Non-Executive Chair of the Board on January 1, 2024.

In his role as EVP and President of the North America Zone, Abrams-Rivera has overseen the company’s U.S. and Canadian operations. “Carlos is the best person to lead the next phase of the Company’s transformation,” said Patricio. “His strategic and innovative mindset is ideal to continue to propel Kraft Heinz forward on our path to greatness. Since joining Kraft Heinz in 2020, he has consistently delivered strong results in the North American retail and Away From Home businesses. Carlos’ experience in both developed and emerging markets complements our ambition for growth. I feel privileged to entrust Carlos with the leadership of this great company, and I am confident that Kraft Heinz is poised for more growth in the years to come.”

“I am humbled and honored to be appointed as the new CEO of Kraft Heinz. I would like to thank Miguel for his mentorship, all he has done to rekindle the spirit of Kraft Heinz and our culture, and for his partnership, now and in the future,” said Abrams-Rivera. “I would also like to thank the Board of Directors for placing its trust in me. Finally, to the thousands of colleagues across Kraft Heinz that have welcomed and trusted me, I am excited to go into a bright future together.”

Photo caption: Carlos Abrams-Rivera (left), and Miguel Patricio (right) (Photo: Business Wire)

Kraft and Heinz Merger Forms World’s 5th Largest Food Company

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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The new Kraft Heniz Co. will house several iconic brands such as Oscar Meyer meats, Velveeta, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Planters and Philadelphia. Eight of its combined brands will be worth more than $1 billion each, while five will be worth approximately $500 million to $1 billion each.

Kraft-Heinz-mergerKraft Foods Group, maker of macaroni-and-cheese products, announced Wednesday that it would merge with H.J. Heinz Co., maker of the ketchup, to become the fifth largest food-and-beverage company in the world and the third largest in the U.S.

The new company, the Kraft Heinz Co., will be co-headquartered in the Chicago and Pittsburgh areas and will have revenues of roughly $28 billion, the companies announced in a statement Wednesday.

The new company will house several iconic brands such as Oscar Meyer meats, Velveeta, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Planters and Philadelphia. Eight of its combined brands will be worth more than $1 billion each, while five will be worth approximately $500 million to $1 billion each.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Brazilian private-equity firm 3G Capital, which co-own Heinz, will invest an additional $10 billion into the merged company, of which current Heinz and Kraft shareholders will collectively own 51 percent and 49 percent respectively. Kraft shareholders will also receive special cash dividends of $16.50 per share.

According to some estimates the merge will help create $1.5 billion a year in savings due to combined efficiencies and shared resources.

Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO Warren Buffett said in a statement. “This is my kind of transaction, uniting two world-class organizations and delivering shareholder value. I’m excited by the opportunities for what this new combined organization will achieve.”

Kraft Recalls Mac & Cheese Due to Possible Metal Pieces

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The company is voluntarily recalling approximately 242,000 cases of select code dates and manufacturing codes of the Original flavor of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner – due to the possibility that some boxes may contain small pieces of metal.

Kraft Foods Group is voluntarily recalling approximately 242,000 cases of select code dates and manufacturing codes of the Original flavor of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner – due to the possibility that some boxes may contain small pieces of metal.

Approximately 6.5 million boxes of original flavor Kraft Macaroni & Cheese are involved in the recall.

KraftMac-CheeseThe recalled product is limited to the 7.25-oz. size of the Original flavor of boxed dinner with the “Best When Used By” dates of September 18, 2015 through October 11, 2015, with the code “C2” directly below the date on each individual box. The “C2” refers to a specific production line on which the affected product was made.

Some of these products have also been packed in multi-pack units that have a range of different code dates and manufacturing codes on the external packaging (box or shrink-wrap), depending on the package configuration (see table).

Recalled product was shipped to customers in the U.S. and several other countries, excluding Canada. The affected dates of this product were sold in only these four configurations:

  • 7.25 oz. box, Original flavor
  • 3-pack box of those 7.25 oz. boxes Original flavor
  • 4-pack shrink-wrap of those 7.25 oz. boxes, Original flavor
  • 5-pack shrink-wrap of those 7.25 oz. boxes, Original flavor

No other sizes, varieties or pasta shapes and no other packaging configurations are included in this recall. And no products with manufacturing codes other than “C2” below the code date on the individual box are included in this recall.

Kraft has received eight consumer contacts about this product from the impacted line within this range of code dates and no injuries have been reported. The recalled product was shipped by Kraft to customers nationwide in the U.S. The product was also distributed to Puerto Rico and some Caribbean and South American countries — but not to Canada.

Consumers who purchased this product should not eat it. They should return it to the store where purchased for an exchange or full refund. Consumers also can contact Kraft Foods Consumer Relations at 1-800-816-9432 between 9 am and 6 pm (Eastern) for a full refund. 

Click here for more information.