Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Heinz, In Honor Of The Brand's 150th Anniversary
So THAT'S where the 57 came from.
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It's hard to believe it, but Heinz is turning the ripe old age of 150 this year. And while the majority of us are probably most familiar with Heinz ketchup—introduced in 1876, before the invention of the lightbulb or the completion of the Eiffel Tower!—the company produces thousands of products across more than 80 percent of the world's countries. Pretty wild! In honor of the company's milestone, here are 12 facts you may not know about Heinz...including where that iconic 57 came from.
It all started with Heinz.
Yes, there's a real Heinz behind the operation. Henry J. Heinz started selling produce from his mother's garden when he was just eight years old. In 1869, Heinz started selling sauces in clear bottles around Pittsburgh.
The very first condiment was...
Nope, not ketchup. Horseradish! Heinz launched the operation using his mother's recipe 150 years ago. Other early sauces included pickles, vinegar, and chili sauce.
Ketchup used to be catsup.
When the tomato sauce you know and love finally hit the scene, it was called catsup. The bottles also used to look quite different—take a look at the different shapes throughout the years. By 1906, they settled on a shape that remains pretty similar to the glass bottles you'd find in stores today.
An employee coined the term 'quality control.'
You've definitely heard the phrase "quality control" before, but did you know you had Heinz to thank? In 1912, an employee and bacteriologist named Herbert Riley coined the term, now widely in circulation. It's part of a commitment reflected before the phrase was said, and it's still prioritized today. In 1906, Heinz was one of the few companies to support the Pure Food and Drug Act, which set the standard for maintaining cleanliness in factories.
'57 Varieties' was never actually accurate—here's where it came from.
By the time Heinz started putting '57 varieties' on his bottles, the company was already selling more than 60 products. While riding on a train in New York City in 1896, he saw a sign advertising 57 varieties of shoes. He liked the way it looked, and he and his wife's favorite number were 5 and 7, respectively, so he decided to use it. The mark can still be found on most products today.
They've got a history with pickles.
One of the company's first big marketing stunts involved setting up a massive pickle billboard near the Flatiron building in New York City. And at the 1893 Chicago World Fair, Heinz handed out free samples and pickle pins to get people to visit the booth, which was in a less than ideal location. More than a million people left with the pins you see here! The pickles themselves are thought to be a nod to one of Heinz's earliest products: relish.
Ketchup was space-approved in 1999.
Yep, astronauts need ketchup, too. In 1999, NASA approved Heinz Tomato Ketchup for use onboard the International Space Station. Every item has to be tested by food scientists, dietitians, and engineers before being approved.
There's a Heinz museum you can visit.
At the Heinz history center in Pittsburgh, PA, a long-term exhibit houses the largest collection of company artifacts in the world—including a giant ketchup bottle display made out of normal-size ketchup bottles.
PLAN A VISIT tripadvisor.com
It's had plenty of pop culture moments.
From commercials featuring Matt LeBlanc and Carly Simon to a shoutout in a Jimmy Buffet song—"I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes"—Heinz has been in the zeitgeist often. Ed Sheeran even has a bottle tattooed on his arm!
They're committed to making ketchup healthier.
Despite being a universally beloved condiment, ketchup gets a bad rap for being loaded with sugar. In recent years, Heinz has taken steps to expand shoppers' options with a full set of "Health and Wellness" ketchup choices. They make no salt added bottles, no sugar added sauce, and now, Heinz Sweetened With Honey, a reduced sugar sauce with 3 grams per serving compared to 4 grams in the classic formula.
They kicked off their anniversary year with lots of mayo.
You're well versed in the world of Mayochup, I presume. But in case you missed their most recent product launch, Heinz added Mayomust and Mayocue to their line-up this March. All three sauces add mayo to either ketchup, mustard, or BBQ sauce, so your sandwich smearing or french fry dipping can be just a little bit easier. They also created a Ketchup Caviar for Valentine's Day—here's hoping it makes a comeback soon.
Heinz sells more than 5,700 products.
Today, Heinz sells more than 5,700 products in 200 countries, including the line-up you see here and have surely seen in the grocery store. While ketchup, mustard, and mayo remain standards here in the U.S., things like Heinz Baked Beans are wildly popular in the UK. Sometimes, the success of a product elsewhere brings it to new regions. Before it came to the States, Mayochup was available in Dubai!
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