(EMAILWIRE.COM, June 11, 2001 ) Heinz North America has announced an extension of its successful tuna innovation, the StarKist Tuna in the Flavor Fresh PouchTM, with a three-ounce single-serve size. Charlie the Tuna®, the brand's popular animated icon, unveils the three-ounce pouch in a national television advertising campaign that begins airing nationwide on June 11, 2001.

For the first time ever, StarKist Seafood® goes head to head with the StarKist Tuna in a Pouch pitted against canned tuna in the new advertising campaign. In an effort to convey the freshness and great flavor of the Pouch, real fishermen at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, also known as the "fresh fish experts," engage in a live, unscripted taste test. The 30-second television spot, created by Cincinnati-based Northlich, visually conveys the freshness and great taste of StarKist Tuna in a Pouch in comparison to canned tuna. The StarKist Tuna in a Pouch is so fresh and full of flavor that the fishermen chose it overwhelmingly over canned tuna and even eat the tuna straight from the Pouch - without adding any mayonnaise or dressing.

"The new three-ounce StarKist Pouch will continue to transform the tuna eating experience," said Don Binotto, managing director of StarKist Seafood, a unit of H.J. Heinz Company's StarKist Foods, Inc. "This advertising illustrates the great taste and flavor of our pouch products. We believe that once consumers actually see and taste the difference versus canned tuna, they'll be hooked on the StarKist Pouch."

The 30-second spot will air on network and cable television, such as ABC, CBS and NBC, as well as during programs such as Dateline, CBS Evening News and The View. In concept and development testing, the "Fish Market" advertisement received superior rankings from consumers. The recall rate was 52 percent, an extremely high recall for any new commercial.


The Next Wave of Innovation

This new single-serve size offers consumers another fresh choice when it comes to eating tuna. The three-ounce StarKist Tuna in the Flavor Fresh Pouch is available in three healthy and nutritious varieties: Premium Albacore in water; Chunk Light Tuna in water; and Chunk Light Tuna in sunflower oil, which is low in saturated fat and high in vitamin E. The suggested retail price is $1.19 for the Chunk Light varieties and $1.69 for the Albacore. All three varieties are expected to be available nationwide by August 2001.

"The success of the seven-ounce pouch continues to exceed our expectations," said Barry Shepard, vice president of marketing for StarKist Seafood. "This has shown us that consumers are interested in eating the freshest tuna available, short of them having to catch it themselves. The three-ounce pouch meets the needs of consumers who are looking for a smaller, single serve option, that is also a perfect 'on the go' alternative."

The seven-ounce StarKist Tuna in the Flavor Fresh Pouch accounts for 10 percent of the overall StarKist business.


About StarKist

StarKist Seafood, an affiliate of the H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE: HNZ), is the leading producer of canned tuna and the category leader in innovation. StarKist represents a 60-year tradition of quality and consumer trust. StarKist was the first to introduce a dolphin-safe policy and portable tuna lunch kits. Around the world, other leading Heinz brands of tuna include John West, Greenseas and Petit Navire.

------------------------

Produced for Heinz North America

Contact: Michael Mullen
Heinz North America
(412) 237-3562
michael.mullen@hjheinz.com

------------------------

Contact Information:
H. J. Heinz Co.
Joseph Nchor
Tel:
Email us


This is a press release. Press release distribution and press release services by EmailWire.Com: http://www.emailwire.com/us-press-release-distribution.php.