New Heinz Ketchup Print Campaign Touts Health Benefits Of Lycopene

Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
Wednesday, 16 December 1998

"Condiment King" Teams With Cancer Research Foundation of America

WASHINGTON, DC – H.J. Heinz Company and the Cancer Research Foundation of America (CRFA) have teamed for a new series of print advertisements promoting the health benefits of lycopene. The print campaign supports a growing body of research which concludes that consuming processed tomato products – like Heinz Ketchup, tomato juice and tomato sauce – helps reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease.

The print advertisements, which feature a pouring bottle of Heinz Ketchup and lycopene messages, are scheduled for January, and will run in The New York Times Sunday Magazine, USA Today, Health magazine and Prevention magazine. The new ads illustrate Heinz Ketchup's nutritional message: Processed tomatoes deliver up to five times more lycopene than fresh tomatoes.

Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that creates the red coloring in tomatoes and protects the human body's cells from free radicals – highly reactive oxidized molecules that disrupt the body's cell membranes and attack the genetic material within.

"The war against cancer is fought in many ways," said Dr. Lelio G. Parducci, vice president of nutrition, technical affairs and chief scientist of H.J. Heinz Company, "and lycopene has emerged as a new weapon in that battle."

All of the advertisements' messages are publicly endorsed by the CRFA, who promotes the consumption of fruits and vegetables, including processed tomato products, to help reduce the risk of some cancers. This concept is driven by the fact that one-third of the 564,800 cancer deaths expected to occur in the U.S. this year are related to dietary factors.

"As an organization, we felt very strongly about aligning ourselves with the messages that Heinz Ketchup is trying to communicate," says Carolyn Aldigé, president and founder of the CRFA. "The ultimate goal of all of our programs is to prevent cancer. In order to make that possible, we must educate."

"Processed" Superior to "Fresh"

The print advertisements also include research findings from the Tomato Research Council that reveal the highest levels of lycopene are available in products such as ketchup, and the lower levels of lycopene are found in fresh tomatoes.

Heinz Ketchup has been America's favorite ketchup since 1876 and the #1 Ketchup for more than 30 years. Found in 97 percent of households, ketchup remains the king of condiments, with sales surpassing all category competitors.

H.J. Heinz Company is one of the world's leading food processors and purveyors of nutritional services. Its 50 affiliates operate in some 200 countries, offering more than 5,000 products. Among the company's famous brands are Heinz, StarKist, Ore-Ida, Weight Watchers, Wattie's, Plasmon, Farley's, The Budget Gourmet, Earth's Best, Ken-L Ration, Kibbles 'n Bits, Orlando, Olivine and Guloso.

The Cancer Research Foundation of America is a national nonprofit health organization whose mission is the prevention of cancer through scientific research and education. Founded in 1985 by Carolyn Aldigé, the organization's commitment is fueled by the fact that certain cancers are preventable through lifestyle and health policy changes, yet more than 550,000 Americans die from the disease annually. Since its inception, the Foundation has supported research, education and early detection programs in excess of $50 million.

For more information, or to contact Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, see their website at: www.preventcancer.org