McDonald’s Drops Heinz Ketchup
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Oli Scarff/Getty Images(PITTSBURGH, Penn.) — McDonald’s is cutting ties with Heinz ketchup, following the appointment of a Burger King Worldwide chief executive officer to run the food processing company.
Heinz announced Bernardo Hees’ position in April, designating him as the company’s CEO. Hees also serves as Burger King’s vice chairman of the board, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“As a result of recent management changes at Heinz, we have decided to transition our business to other suppliers over time,” McDonald’s said in a statement on Friday.
The relationship between the international fast-food chain and the ketchup giant has been tumultuous, the Post-Gazette reports, with McDonald’s taking the bulk of its business elsewhere in the 1970s after a tomato shortage led to a low Heinz supply.
Heinz ketchup has been served in McDonald’s locations only in Pittsburgh and Minneapolis, so the decision to sever ties will likely have a larger impact on international markets.
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