Do we like them?

Do we like Kraft Heinz?

Packaged food giant (Heinz, Kraft, Philadelphia, Oscar Mayer, Maxwell House), based in Chicago and Pittsburgh, US

Our score: 4 out of 10. Big, familiar food brands, but a record of accounting scandal and costly shareholder settlements. A split was announced, then paused. We'd hold off backing them.

Kraft Heinz was formed when Heinz bought Kraft in 2015, with Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway joining the board. It owns many of the best-known pantry brands in America.

The merger years were rough. The SEC said the company improperly accounted for procurement savings, and Kraft Heinz agreed to pay a $62 million penalty without admitting or denying the findings. A former procurement chief was also barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company.

Shareholders also sued over the post-merger cost-cutting. Parties sought approval for a $450 million settlement in the stock-drop case. A separate $16 million class settlement covered Maxwell House coffee labelling.

In December 2025 the company named Steve Cahillane, ex-Kellogg and Kellanova boss, as CEO ahead of a planned split into two companies. A February 2026 headline said the split was paused so the company could focus on reviving its brands.

On the plus side, it promised to drop artificial dyes from US products by the end of 2027, and it is putting extra money into its brands. Still, the history of accounting trouble keeps our score middling.