Heinz Hopes to See Green With New Ketchup

H.J. Heinz Co. is bringing out a green-colored ketchup for its biggest customers--kids, who consume more than half of all ketchup in the U.S. Blastin’ Green ketchup will be on store shelves in late October. Both the green and traditional red ketchups will be available in a kid-friendly, easy-to-handle bottle called Heinz EZ Squirt, which is expected to generate $25 million to $40 million in annual sales, the company said. More than half the $1-billion-a-year U.S. ketchup sales go to Pittsburgh-based Heinz, ahead of Conagra Inc.’s 26% with its Hunt’s brand. EZ Squirt is forecast to capture as many as 6 percentage points of the U.S. ketchup market, Heinz said. EZ Squirt will be packaged in an hourglass-shape plastic bottle that’s easier for kids to squeeze, and will be enriched with Vitamin C. Blastin’ Green will taste just like red ketchup, Heinz said. The green hue will be achieved with food coloring. Shares of Heinz, which has been selling tomato ketchup since 1876, closed off 13 cents at $45.38 on the NYSE.