Heinz is to jump further aboard the low-carb bandwagon with a new range of ready meals under the Weight Watchers banner.
The manufacturer, which has been at the forefront of developing lines suitable to followers of the Atkins and South Beach regimes since it launched low-carb ketchup in the US last year, will roll out the new four-strong Weight Watchers range in September, The Grocer has learned. Meals in the range will contain up to 50% fewer carbohydrates than their standard Weight Watchers counterparts.
However, unlike Nestlé’s first foray into the low-carb arena with new versions of KitKat and Rolo (The Grocer, May 29 p60),
Heinz’s newcomers will be competitively priced and on a par with existing lines from Weight Watchers.
It plans to charge consumers £2.49 for each of the single-serve 320g frozen meals it is launching, a mark-up of no more than 25% and, in some cases, no more expensive than current Weight Watchers frozen meals.
That compares with Nestlé’s plans to charge 79p for a two-finger low-carb KitKat and £1.49 for a tube of Rolo Low Carb.
Four different styles of chicken dishes - Tuscan, Garlic, Red Wine and Mushroom and Herb - will lead Heinz’s new range, each with servings of vegetables such as sweetcorn, green beans, baby carrots and broccoli.
However, the manufacturer will still be attempting to distance itself from the Atkins craze with on-pack messages including ‘there is no such thing as a good or bad food’.
Matthew Cullum, senior brand manager for Heinz frozen ready meals, said: “With the talk about carbohydrates and dieting, we recognise some consumers prefer to eat meals with higher protein and fewer carbohydrates.”
Simon Mowbray
The manufacturer, which has been at the forefront of developing lines suitable to followers of the Atkins and South Beach regimes since it launched low-carb ketchup in the US last year, will roll out the new four-strong Weight Watchers range in September, The Grocer has learned. Meals in the range will contain up to 50% fewer carbohydrates than their standard Weight Watchers counterparts.
However, unlike Nestlé’s first foray into the low-carb arena with new versions of KitKat and Rolo (The Grocer, May 29 p60),
Heinz’s newcomers will be competitively priced and on a par with existing lines from Weight Watchers.
It plans to charge consumers £2.49 for each of the single-serve 320g frozen meals it is launching, a mark-up of no more than 25% and, in some cases, no more expensive than current Weight Watchers frozen meals.
That compares with Nestlé’s plans to charge 79p for a two-finger low-carb KitKat and £1.49 for a tube of Rolo Low Carb.
Four different styles of chicken dishes - Tuscan, Garlic, Red Wine and Mushroom and Herb - will lead Heinz’s new range, each with servings of vegetables such as sweetcorn, green beans, baby carrots and broccoli.
However, the manufacturer will still be attempting to distance itself from the Atkins craze with on-pack messages including ‘there is no such thing as a good or bad food’.
Matthew Cullum, senior brand manager for Heinz frozen ready meals, said: “With the talk about carbohydrates and dieting, we recognise some consumers prefer to eat meals with higher protein and fewer carbohydrates.”
Simon Mowbray
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