A new era for bottling tomato ketchup

When it comes to sauces, consumers are increasingly choosing with convenience and health in mind. As a result, manufacturers are increasingly focusing on users’ experience with products like tomato ketchup. Having noted consumers’ desire to easily extract every last bit of ketchup from their bottles, Kraft Heinz introduced the concept of an inverted (or top-down) bottle design, creating an unprecedented consumer experience.  

To ensure the best possible quality, Kraft Heinz China once again collaborated with its long-time partner Krones, implementing Krones' advanced dry aseptic solution, the PET-Asept D for bottle and cap sterilization. This has elevated the cleanliness of the entire production line while perfectly preserving the product’s flavor and texture to meet consumer demands for both taste and convenience.

Finding the perfect solution together 

During the initial phase of designing the production line, Kraft Heinz and Krones held multiple rounds of discussions, continuously refining their requirements. Ultimately, Krones created a customized line with a PET-Asept D system, providing an aseptic filling and capping process suitable for both high-acid and low-acid products. With a production capacity of 12,000 bottles per hour, the line ensures reliability and high efficiency for the production of sauces. 

The core of the line is the PET-Asept D system, which uses the strong oxidizing properties of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to sterilize bottles and caps and significantly upgrades the cleanliness of the entire filling line to achieve Heinz's mandatory UCCF (Ultra Clean Cold Filling) standard. It ensures product hygiene and safety while perfectly preserving product flavor and mouthfeel. 

The system is equipped with the load cell technology of the NWJ filling valve. This technology is suitable for filling both high- and low-viscosity products and products containing particles, making the filling process more precise and flexible for sauce production. A CIP module on the filler makes for more convenient operation. The highly flexible production line also provides room for expansion and technical support for the introduction of new products in the future, such as low-salt and low-sugar sauces. 

Efficient production line layout with an eye to future growth 

The line layout that Krones created for Kraft Heinz’s Qingdao factory makes efficient use of space within the bottling hall. More importantly, the plan reserves space for future product expansion, allowing the flexible addition of new equipment based on market demands and fully reflecting Krones' design ingenuity and customer-oriented service philosophy. 

In addition, Krones equipped Heinz with a complete digital solution for the entire line: an analytics tool that is responsible for collecting, storing and visualizing production data and conducting downtime analysis. This helps Kraft Heinz analyze production bottlenecks and improve the line’s efficiency. 

Kraft Heinz and Krones have formed a powerful partnership, combining Kraft Heinz's keen market insight and relentless innovation with Krones' cutting-edge technology, to drive growth and success in the Chinese market.  

We sincerely thank the Krones team for their full support and cooperation. Throughout the collaboration, we faced challenges together and grew hand in hand. They always responded quickly to our needs, laying the foundation for the project's success. We look forward to continuing our cooperation with Krones in the future, to launch more high-quality products that meet the tastes and needs of Chinese consumers and bring both health and deliciousness to millions of families. Hank HeHead of Manufacturing, Kraft Heinz China

Kraft Heinz has been operating in China for over 40 years and will continue to focus on product development, responding to consumers' expectations with rich and innovative products. Looking ahead, Krones will continue to provide competitive and sustainable production technologies, actively responding to market trends, continuously innovating, and launching more high-quality products that meet Chinese consumers' tastes and needs, thus contributing to the ongoing development of the food industry.