H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE: HNZ) makes processed food products like condiments, sauces, and frozen foods. The company is best known for its namesake brand, Heinz ketchup, which has 60% market share in the US, 70% in Canada, and 78% in the U.K^[1] Heinz' other product lines include condiments and sauces such as salad dressing and soy sauce, frozen food, soups, beans and pasta meals, and infant food. The company's 15 top brands, including the flagship Heinz brand, make up over 70% of total sales.^[2] In FY 2010, Heinz had sales of nearly $10.5 billion with a net income of $864.9 million.^[3]

Heinz has spent a good part of the last decade restructuring its business, shedding less profitable brands and instead focusing more cash on marketing and product development.^[4] The firm's renewed efficiency has recently been tested by rising commodities prices, which are driving up the costs of making and packaging food - high fructose corn syrup is a key ingredient in almost all Heinz products, and oil is refined to make plastic bottles for sauces and condiments.

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