Covid-19 triggered food hoarding throughout the world by the affluent. It also triggered food deprivation in the poor. Too many people in vulnerable social groups went hungry.

Heinz decided to take action by transforming its six ketchup ingredients into baskets, which were donated to Gastromotiva, – a non-profit organisation that works to improve the conditions of Brazil’s poorest through gastronomy education, work opportunities and wellbeing. In Brazil, Heinz Ketchup is made with only six 100% natural ingredients: tomato, sugar, vinegar, salt, onion and natural flavours.

The project was created, developed and executed in partnership with Agencia Africa, which is also responsible for promoting the other Heinz initiatives such as the support to the burger restaurants.

The donations enabled the NGO to prepare nutritious and balanced meals for those who don’t have access to them.

The meals are being prepared by volunteers of Gastromotiva’s Solidary Kitchens project, which invites some of the program’s graduated cooks who are willing to use their own house kitchen for cooking the meals and delivering them to people in need in their communities. The project, which already existed in Rio de Janeiro, is now being implemented in Sao Paulo, thanks to the donations given by Heinz.

“Heinz Basket aims at helping Gastromotiva to create nutritious and quality meals using the ingredients that are part of its ketchup recipe – tomato, sugar, vinegar, salt, onion and natural flavours – as well as at building a social entrepreneurship network. Food is a tool for social change and that’s what makes this idea so necessary in such delicate times as the one we’re in,” explained Raquel Lo-Buono, brand building manager at Kraft Heinz Company in Brazil.

Matias Menendez, executive creative director at Africa, added, “We gathered our efforts to bring up this project because we understand the urgency of helping those who are most in need right now. Basket Heinz is a powerful idea that shows us how an iconic brand such as Heinz can help to promote change and impact when partnering up with organisations with such a relevant purpose.”