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The massive American food manufacturer Heinz has announced that it will rename its iconic kitchen staple Salad Cream as “Sandwich Cream” after 104 years. The decision is being made because the brand says that very few people actually eat it on salad.
A spokesperson for Heinz told The Grocer that the name does not “fairly represent the product’s ingredients or usage occasions” and that research has found that only 14 percent of its users eat it with, or apply it to, salad.
The acidic, mayonnaise-like condiment is among Heinz’ top three most well-known products in the UK — together with cousins tomato ketchup and baked beans — and was in a bygone age used to dress iceberg lettuce leaves. It is also added to chopped egg or tuna as a substitute for mayonnaise. In 1999, Heinz were revealed to have been considering ditching the brand but the subsequent press generated a significant protest to save the brand. It enabled Heinz not only to continue manufacturing the product, but to relaunch in modern packaging and increase the price.
The Grocer says that the brand is looking to appeal to ‘younger shoppers,’ which prompted one Twitter user to claim that Salad Cream can be added to the growing list of things killed by millennials. It has been reported that UK sales of the product dropped 5.4 percent to £28.8 million last year.
It is understood that the rebranded product will hit the shelves in September. Unless it’s just another stunt.