Kraft Heinz is rolling out a wave of new products aimed at reviving some of its oldest and most familiar brands, including cheesy instant ramen, protein-boosted Jell-O pudding and bacon cut specifically for sandwiches, as the packaged-food giant tries to reverse years of stagnant sales.
The new items, expected to arrive in stores by spring, are part of a broader innovation push at the company. Among the offerings: Jell-O pudding with 10 grams of protein, Crystal Light with added fiber and protein, and Oscar Mayer Sandwich Bacon, which is cut round to fit sandwiches.
“It’s a big turnaround,” Kraft Heinz CEO Steve Cahillane told the Wall Street Journal. “These brands have been underinvested in for over 10 years.”
Kraft Mac & Cheese Cheesy Ramen is set to launch nationwide in early 2027, according to a company press release. The instant noodle cups will come in Spicy, Chicken and Pork varieties, made without artificial flavors, preservatives or dyes. The company says it marks the brand’s first expansion into a new category in nearly 20 years, and Cahillane said the product sold out within a week of its Canadian launch.
That launch follows the earlier debut of PowerMac, a version of Kraft Mac & Cheese with added protein and fiber. Cahillane told the Journal that PowerMac helped return the brand to sales growth after several years of decline.
Kraft Heinz has put an additional $700 million into the business, funding marketing, lower prices, staffing and product development, and has hired 400 new employees, according to the Journal.
The moves reflect a broader shift in consumer demand toward protein and wellness-focused foods, though the company says it is not abandoning the taste and convenience its brands have long been known for. Cahillane told the Journal that roughly half of the company’s 2027 product pipeline will focus on health and wellness, including items with less sugar or more protein.
Traditional Heinz ketchup, however, will continue to be made with high-fructose corn syrup, Cahillane said, partly because cane sugar costs more.
“We’re not trying to claim that 100% of our portfolio is grown in your back garden,” Cahillane said. “We are claiming that we can do health and wellness. We can play in that space, and we can do it extremely well.”
Not every brand is responding to the changes. Cahillane said Oscar Mayer meat and Kraft cheese continue to struggle, as does Philadelphia cream cheese, with consumers increasingly switching to cottage cheese. Kraft Heinz is working on cream cheese products that rely less on carbohydrate-heavy pairings like bagels.
Cahillane said he expects overall sales to stay flat next year, with sales and profits returning to growth in 2028. The company had previously planned to split into two separate businesses, dividing its global condiments operation from its North American grocery unit, but Cahillane has since paused that plan, telling the Journal a split is no longer a priority.
Some analysts remain doubtful the strategy will work. TD Cowen analyst Rob Moskow told the Journal he is skeptical the company can turn around so many struggling brands at once.
“There are too many holes in the boat, too many plates to spin,” Moskow said. “I’m not sure how they can get it all done.”
Cahillane acknowledged the scale of the challenge, given how many product categories the company operates in simultaneously. “We have to whack one mole at a time,” he said.
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