The products produced by the Kraft Heinz Company are globally revered as pantry stalwarts. From its iconic HEINZ to KRAFT, JELL-O, JET-PUFFED, KOOL-AID, OSCAR MAYER, PHILADELPHIA cream cheese and more, the food and beverage company is renowned the world over for bringing its globally trusted brands to market. As the third-largest food and beverage company in North America with seven $1 billion-plus brands in its portfolio, Kraft Heinz is synonymous with high quality, great taste and comfort at home, in restaurants or on-the-go.

And it’s been this way since 1876, when Heinz Tomato Ketchup was launched by Henry John Heinz, an American entrepreneur by way of Germany. What began as a small food company with a short roster of products has since morphed to become the powerful force it is today, enjoying a large majority of the market share of all ketchup sales in the U.S. for its most iconic product, says the company.

Similarly, Kraft’s origins began with Canadian immigrant James L. Kraft, who started a wholesale door-to-door cheese business in Chicago, Illinois, in the early part of the 19th century. By 1914, J.L. Kraft and Bros. Company was selling 31 varieties of cheese, and in 1916, it secured the patent to a product that would define it from its competition further – pasteurized processed cheese, which allowed for a longer shelf life. The two companies – Heinz and Kraft Foods– merged in 2015 to be the company we know today, bringing together each’s powerful portfolio of category-leading brands.

“The Kraft Heinz Company is one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world, and is the result of decades of growth, innovation and acquisitions,” says Whitney Shaw, director, strategy and partnerships, The Kraft Heinz Company. “Through mergers, acquisitions and innovation, the company has built brands like OSCAR MAYER, PHILADELPHIA cream cheese and Maxwell House coffee, among many others. Today The Kraft Heinz Company and its affiliates hold more than 150 iconic brands that together generated about $26 billion in net sales in 2020.”

Learn about Kraft-Heinz’s current licensing strategy and more in the June issue of License Global, out now!