HEINZ AND THE 1906 PURE FOOD AND DRUG ACT CENTENNIAL
Heinz was instrumental in convincing President Theodore Roosevelt to support
the Pure Food and Drug Act, which helped spawn the modern food industry. Henry Heinz dispatched
his son, Howard, and top lieutenant and brother-in-law, Sebastian Mueller, to lobby for the legislation.
Henry Heinz believed federal regulation was necessary to build consumer trust and to ensure a level
playing field for all. The champion for the law within the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Harvey Wiley,
credited Henry Heinz with providing crucial support for the law’s passage, which is celebrating its
centennial this year.
The pure foods company
More about Heinz’s dedication to its strong values can be found in our inaugural Corporate Social
Responsibility Report (above), accessible at www.heinz.com.
Quality and purity were bedrock ideas of Founder Henry J. Heinz. His legacy is carried on today by people such as Parks Brame (above, left), director of quality assurance for Heinz North America, and Idamarie Laquatra, Ph.D., director of global nutrition.
Heinz has long funded nutrition research. Joining the roster last year was the Istituto Scotti Bassani in Italy, which leads Heinz’s research into infant food safety and nutrition.
The cancer-fighting properties of processed tomatoes are increasingly recognized. Last year Heinz joined with other organizations to successfully petition for a qualified health claim from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The claim affirms research indicating that eating tomato-based products, such as Classico® sauces, may help reduce the risk of prostate and certain other cancers.
Today’s Heinz is focused on continuous improvement in its quality assurance programs. A global strategy now puts quality assurance professionals in a direct reporting role to the head of each Heinz affiliate, as well as World Headquarters. Dual reporting promotes shared quality and best-practice initiatives.
The H.J. Heinz Company Foundation recently committed to expand support of a unique micronutrient supplement program in China, India, Indonesia and other emerging markets. The Foundation has committed $5 million to help combat malnutrition and prevent the scourge of anemia with a flavorless powder packaged in individual sachets. When sprinkled on food staples such as rice, the powdered nutrients have been proven more effective than liquid drops, which have undesirable side effects.