Industry Insight

Kraft Heinz: Corporate Social Responsibility & Community Involvement

The Kraft Heinz About Us page header reads: “A globally trusted producer of delicious foods, The Kraft Heinz Company provides high quality, great taste and nutrition for all eating occasions whether at home, in restaurants or on the go.”

And it’s true. Kraft and Heinz have both been staples in our lives for as long as we can remember. Since you were little you’ve been eating the blue box Kraft Mac & Cheese, and you now make it for you own children at home, (or even for yourself), and Heinz sits atop almost every restaurant table out there. These are brands we all recognize and we all have come to know how great they are. Aside from being your go-to choice for mac & cheese, ketchup, mustard, mayo and more, The Kraft Heinz Company is doing a lot of good in the world.

Corporate Social Responsibility

The Environment

With their commitment to reducing their environmental footprint, and being dedicated to protecting the
planet’s natural resources, Kraft Heinz has pledged to achieve the following in their manufacturing
facilities by 2020:

  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15%
  • Reduce energy consumption by 15%
  • Reduce water consumption by 15%
  • Reduce solid waste sent to landfill by 15%

Palm Oil

“Given its efficiency and versatility, global demand for palm oil has more than doubled in the last ten years, and this exceptional growth has brought economic and employment benefits for millions of palm oil producers. However, it has also elevated unprecedented threats to the forests, wildlife and people in areas where the crop is grown, and we share the industry’s collective concern around these social and environmental risks.”

When sourcing and using palm oil for production, Kraft Heinz follows these principles:

  • No deforestation
  • No destruction of primary, high carbon stock or high conservation value forests
  • No fire use in plantation operations
  • No new development on peat lands regardless of depth
  • Best management practices for existing operations on peat
  • Compliance with national and local laws and regulations and international labor and human rights laws
  • Absolutely no forced labor, child labor and/or human trafficking
  • Takes place on legally-held land
  • Respects land tenure rights
  • Meets the Kraft Heinz supplier code of conduct

Animal Welfare

The Kraft Heinz Company also has an animal welfare policy, which follows Five Freedoms:

  • Freedom from hunger and thirst
  • Freedom from discomfort due to the environment
  • Freedom from pain, injury or disease
  • Freedom to express normal behavior for the species
  • Freedom from fear and distress

Human Rights

“In support of our Vision, we are committed to respecting human rights in our own operations and throughout our global value chain. We believe the protection of human rights is fundamental to good business, and believe we have both the ability and responsibility to drive positive change through our global work.”

Community Involvement

“The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation is Growing A Better World through our mission of aligning our people, products and partnerships to help eliminate global hunger. The Kraft Heinz Company is committed to building an enduring legacy of good corporate citizenship in the communities where we operate. The company promotes employee volunteerism and has made an impact through strategic investments to address hunger and improve nutrition, both globally and in the areas where our employees live and work.”

The Kraft Heinz Company has established a Micronutrient Campaign, that “enhances access to nutritional supplements that promote healthy growth and development, especially in developing countries and regions.” They’ve also partnered with: Feeding America, Boys and Girls Club of America, the American Red Cross, and local food banks. With Stop Hunger Now and Feeding America, and have provided more than 2 billion servings of food to those in need, and 3.2 million meals have been packaged by Kraft Heinz employees with their partner Rise Against Hunger (2019).

Next time you are making a purchase at the store or with your foodservice distributor, we hope you’ll think about these brands and the good that’s going on behind the scenes.

All info provided by: https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/