Heinz Russia (H.J. Heinz)

The American food company 'H.J. Heinz' is a ketchup producer, and its subsidiary 'Heinz Russia' is one of the leaders in the production of ketchups, sauces, mayonnaise, plant-fat spreads and baby food in Russia.

History

2023: Sale to Chernogolovka of the Umnitsa and Sami with a mustache baby food brands

At the end of March 2023, it became known about the sale of the Russian baby food business Kraft Heinz to the Chernogolovka group. The parties concluded an agreement according to which the brands "Umnitsa," "Sami with a mustache," as well as Heinz factories in the Stavropol Territory and Ivanovo will be transferred to the Russian company.

The deal was announced by Kommersant with reference to a letter from Kraft Heinz CEO in Russia and the CIS Mary Gukasyan to partners. It, as the newspaper writes, says that the sale of the baby food business in Russia will allow Kraft Heinz to focus on the development of the main categories - ketchups and sauces. The company continues to produce these products at a plant in the Leningrad Region, as well as sell goods under the Heinz and Picador brands in Russia and neighboring countries. Kraft Heinz confirmed the information about the deal to the newspaper.

The brands "Umnitsa," "Sami with a mustache," as well as factories in the Stavropol Territory and Ivanovo will be transferred to the Russian company

It is reported that Chernogolovka will receive the rights to the Heinz Baby brand for a "short" period. Kraft Heinz, according to the newspaper's sources, estimated the cost of the business at 2.5-3 billion rubles. One of the interlocutors of the newspaper noted that the government commission still has to agree with the assessment. The deal is supposed to close in the summer, after regulators approve it.

Chernogolovka, which is best known as a beverage producer, already has its own brand of baby food - Babie's Chernogolovka. Under this brand, the company produces water, fruit puree, drinking porridge, juices and meatballs. Heinz has a wider product line: it includes fruit, vegetable and meat puree, ten types of porridge, cookies, tea, vermicelli, puddings, etc.

Rusbrand executive director Alexei Popovichev notes that Kraft Heinz is one of the leaders in the sauce market, it is logical that the company wants to focus on this market. For Chernogolovka, the deal makes it possible to replenish the portfolio with recognizable brands in a relatively new category for itself, he points out.^[1]

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