Kraft Heinz Australia
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Owned |
USA |
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Food manufacturing
Heinz began production in Australia in 1935. Bought Golden Circle in 2008. In 2015 Heinz merged with Kraft, becoming Kraft Heinz.
Company Ownership
HJ Heinz Company Australia Ltd | AUS | website | ||||
H.J. Heinz Company ![]() owns 100% of HJ Heinz Company Australia Ltd |
USA | |||||
Global food company Founded in USA in 1869 by entrepreneur Henry John Heinz. Today their products are available in more than 200 countries. Acquired by private equity firms Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital in 2013. Merged with Kraft in 2015 to form The Kraft Heinz Company. | ||||||
Kraft Heinz Company ![]() owns 100% of H.J. Heinz Company |
USA | website | ||||
Food and beverages Formed in 2015 when Heinz and Kraft merged, creating the 3rd largest food and beverage company in North America and the 5th largest food and beverage company in the world, with eight $1 billion+ brands. | ||||||
» Berkshire Hathaway Inc ![]() owns 25% of Kraft Heinz Company |
USA | website | ||||
Conglomerate The world's 3rd richest man, Warren Buffett, owns about a quarter of the company. Berkshire Hathaway owns stakes of $1 billion or more in many companies including American Express, The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, Sanofi, Wells Fargo, and IBM. Acquired half of Heinz in 2013. | ||||||
» 3G Capital ![]() owns 20% of Kraft Heinz Company |
BRA | website | ||||
Private equity firm The firm has offices in New York City and Rio de Janeiro. Bought Burger King in 2010 and 50% of Heinz in 2013 (with Berkshire Hathaway buying the other 50%). Brazil's richest man, Jorge Paulo Lemann, is among the firm's backers and is also on the board of directors of the world's largest beer company, AB Inbev. |
Company Assessment
PRAISE | CRITICISM | INFORMATION | ||
HJ Heinz Company Australia Ltd | ||||
Lowest rating in Greenpeace's Canned Tuna Guide. "Greenseas is miles behind at 10th place and the bottom of the pile. It is the only brand to have abandoned its commitment to sustainability. It was the first big brand to make the positive commitment to stop using destructive FADs, but has failed to follow through. Greenseas fails the transparency test ? providing no evidence to prove it can trace where its tuna comes from. It has also removed commitments and sustainability information from its website. Its human rights record is unknown. None of this is good enough. Vote with your wallet, and choose another brand."
[Source 2017][More on Oceans]
Independent testing commissioned by Friends of the Earth in 2017 found nanoparticles in popular Australian infant formula products that are both illegal in Australia and potentially dangerous, including products by this company. A growing body of scientific research demonstrates that nanoparticles pose threats to human health, raising concerns about their use in food and many other consumer products.
[Source 2017][More on Product Safety]
In 2018 the Federal Court fined Heinz Australia $2.25 million for making misleading health claim that its Little Kids Shredz products were a healthy and nutritious food for young children, when this was not the case. Shredz are over 60% sugar.
[Source 2018][More on Irresponsible Marketing] |
Heinz Watties: story of the closing of the Eden Cannery, July 1999
[Source x][More on Workers Rights]
Golden Circle labelling still said "Australian Owned" in 2010, even though Heinz bought Golden Circle back in Dec 2008. Heinz was ordered to take correction measures by the ACCC.
[Source 2010][More on Irresponsible Marketing]
In May 2011 Heinz Australia announced it is to cut more than 300 jobs when it moves some of its Victorian, NSW and Queensland operations to New Zealand. Heinz will still employ 1400 Australians across four sites. Heinz CEO Nigel Comer said "there's a duplication of the infrastructure in factories across the region and it's been a trend of our company over a number of years to actually move production between countries."
[Source 2011][More on Governance]
Company retails, manufactures or distributes products that are certified organic under the Australian Certified Organic label.
[Source 2018][More on Eco-Certification]
This company is a signatory to the Manufacturers and Importers Agreement 1992 (MAIF), a voluntary self-regulatory code of conduct between the manufacturers and importers of infant formula in Australia. The MAIF Agreement aims to contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants, by the protection and promotion of breastfeeding and by ensuring the proper use of breast milk substitutes, when they are necessary, on the basis of adequate information through appropriate marketing and distribution.
[Source 2019][More on Irresponsible Marketing]
This company is listed by the Earth Island Institute as an approved dolphin-safe tuna processing company. This company has pledged to abide by the Earth Island international 'Dolphin Safe' tuna standards of no encirclement of dolphins or other marine mammals during an entire fishing trip, no accidental deaths or serious injuries of any dolphins, and no use of drift gill nets.
[Source 2016][More on Animal Rights]
Heinz branded items are rated 'green' in Greenpeace's 2011 Truefood Guide, except for chicken products. This signifies a clear policy on excluding GM-derived ingredients, including oils derived from GM crops, and animal products from animals fed on GM crops. Chicken products may be fed GM grain. However since then the company has had a change of ownership so their current GM status in unknown.
[Source 2011][More on Genetic Engineering] |
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H.J. Heinz Company | ||||
EWG's 2015 report "BPA in Canned Food" analyzed 252 canned food brands to find out which ones are still using BPA (bisphenol A), a synthetic estrogen found in the epoxy coatings of food cans which has been linked to many health problems. This company was amongst the 'Better Players' for using BPA free-cans for some of its brands and/or products.
[Source 2015][More on Product Safety] |
This company is named and shamed in IBFAN's 2017 report, 'Breaking the Rules, Stretching the Rules 2017', evidence of violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, compiled from June 2014 to June 2017. The report covers 792 Code violations from 79 countries and by 28 companies.
[Source 2017][More on Irresponsible Marketing] |
Friends of the Earth's 2014 report "Tiny Ingredients, Big Risks" names this company as one of over 200 transnational food companies engaged in nanotechnology research and development, and on their way to commercializing products. New studies are adding to a growing body of scientific evidence indicating nanomaterials may be toxic to humans and the environment.
[Source 2014][More on Product Safety]
In 2014 Heinz announced that it will be switching 20 percent of its eggs to cage-free throughout its North American operations by the end of 2015. This adds to a previous commitment to cleanse its supply chain over time of pork from gestation crates.
[Source 2014][More on Factory Farming]
The Union of Concerned Scientists' 2015 Palm Oil Scorecard scores America's top brands on their commitments to use deforestation-free palm oil. This company received a score of 42.9/100, signifying some commitment.
[Source 2015][More on Palm Oil]
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
[Source 2014] |
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Kraft Heinz Company | ||||
This company received a score of 9 out of a possible total of 9 in the WWF Palm Oil Buyers' Scorecard 2016, which rates companies on what they are - and aren't - doing to prevent the negative environmental and social impacts of palm oil production.
[Source 2016][More on Palm Oil]
This company is listed as having best practice on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America.
[Source 2019][More on Workers Rights]
This company received a SAM Rank of 68/100 in the Food Products category of the 2018 SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment. The index is based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
[Source 2018][More on Sustainability Reporting] |
This company received a score of 3.5/100 (retrieved 14-Feb-2018) in the Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI), a system for evaluating supply chain practices in China, particularly in regards to environmental management and water pollution. Scores are calculated using government compliance data, online monitoring data, and third-party environmental audits, as well as trends in the environmental performance of factories in the company's supply chains.
[Source 2018][More on Habitats]
This company sources palm oil from at least 20 of the 25 dirty palm oil producers identified in the 2018 Greenpeace report "The Final Countdown". In addition to deforestation, the 25 individual cases in the report include evidence of exploitation and social conflicts, illegal deforestation, development without permits, plantation development in areas zoned for protection and forest fires linked to land clearance.
[Source 2018][More on Palm Oil]
The Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI) is a global initiative that evaluates the world's largest food and beverage manufacturers on their policies, practices and performance related to undernutrition and obesity. Of the 22 companies ranked this company came last.
[Source 2018][More on Product Safety]
This company received a score of 3.6/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
[Source 2017][More on Sustainability Reporting]
The Forest 500 identifies, ranks, and tracks the governments, companies and financial institutions worldwide that together could virtually eradicate tropical deforestation. Rankings are based on their public policies and commitments and potential impacts on tropical forests in the context of forest risk commodities (palm oil, soya, beef, leather, timber, and pulp and paper). This company received a score of 2/5.
[Source 2018][More on Forests]
In 2018 volunteers collected and catalogued more than 187,000 pieces of trash from beach cleanups around the world to find out which corporations are contributing the most to the global plastic pollution problem. While not in the top 10, this company ranked as one of the world's worst plastic polluters.
[Source 2018][More on Oceans]
In 2018, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of D.
[Source 2018][More on Climate Change]
In 2018, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts towards removing commodity-driven deforestation and forest degradation from its direct operations and supply chains. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Forests Score of D.
[Source 2018][More on Forests]
In 2018 KnowTheChain benchmarked 120 large global companies in the ICT, Food & Beverage, and Apparel & Footwear sectors on their efforts to address forced labour and human trafficking in their supply chains. This company received a score of 23/100.
[Source 2018][More on Workers Rights]
The 2017 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 98 of the largest publicly traded companies in the world from the Agricultural Products, Apparel and Extractives sectors on 100 human rights indicators. This company's score was in the 20-29 band range. The overall average score was 28.7%.
[Source 2017][More on Human Rights]
The 2017 Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) report ranks global food companies on how they are managing and reporting their farm animal welfare policies and practices. This company appeared in tier 5, "On the Business Agenda but Limited Evidence of Implementation", with tier 1 being the best, and tier 6 the worst.
[Source 2018][More on Animal Rights]
Kraft Heinz is 25.5% owned by Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway, who get an 'F' rating.
[Source 2015][More on Governance]
In 2019 the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said that Kraft Heinz and Mondelez International will pay $16m in penalty regarding a wheat manipulation case that dates back to 2015. The CFTC said Kraft and Mondelez came up with a strategy to purchase and stand for delivery on more than 3,000 futures contracts, priced at about $90m, to send the market a false signal that the companies had demand for wheat. The lawsuit was filed by wheat futures and options traders who accused Kraft and Mondelez of illegally manipulating the grain's price at their expense.
[Source 2019][More on Finance] |
This company has products rated RED in the Centre for Food Safety's True Food Shopper's Guide (USA). Products on the RED list contain ingredients that come from the most common GE crops (corn, soy, canola, cotton). Companies with products on this list have confirmed that their products may have or are likely to be made with GE ingredients, or have not denied using GE foods when given the opportunity to do so.
[Source 2013][More on Genetic Engineering]
This company is a member of How2Recycle. The How2Recycle Label is a voluntary, standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public. It involves a coalition of forward thinking brands who want their packaging to be recycled and are empowering consumers through smart packaging labels. Companies must be a member of the program to use the How2Recycle Label.
[Source 2017][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]
In 2018, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to manage and govern freshwater resources. Responding companies are scored on six key metrics: transparency; governance & strategy; measuring & monitoring; risk assessment; targets & goals; and value chain engagement. This company received a CDP Water Security Score of C.
[Source 2018][More on Human Rights]
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
[Source 2017][More on Human Rights]
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
[Source 2016] |
Company Details
Company Structure | Wholly-owned subsidiary |
Revenue | $1.2 billion in 2017 |
# Employees | 900 in 2017 |
Company Ranking | 517 in top 2000 Australian companies |
Aus Manufacturing | Yes |
Subsidiaries | Golden Circle Ltd - Original Juice Company Pty Ltd |
Contact Details
Address | South Melbourne, VIC, Australia |
Freecall | 1800 633 333 |
consumer.services@kraftheinz.com | |
Website | www.heinz.com.au |