Kraft Heinz has begun piloting an artificial intelligence agent designed to streamline ketchup production and preserve decades of institutional knowledge.
The tool, called The Cookbook, was developed in partnership with Microsoft using Azure OpenAI and moved from concept to prototype in less than three months. Currently available to a select group of U.S. employees, the system gives workers access to 150 years of company expertise in ketchup making, including details on product consistency, color, and process efficiency.
“With a keystroke or tablet tap, users can query The Cookbook on everything from the thickness of a Heinz Tomato Ketchup batch to insights about production workflows,” the company said.
The pilot marks Kraft Heinz’s latest step in expanding its AI portfolio. Earlier initiatives included TasteMaker, a tool aimed at accelerating product development and marketing.
“This is not the first AI agent to be deployed at Kraft Heinz,” said Pat Nestor, head of decision intelligence products and platforms. “We continue to explore integrated AI solutions that can drive scalability and connectivity across the organization, unlocking further value for the business, our people, and consumers.”
Executives said insights from the pilot could eventually be applied across the company’s broader portfolio, including brands beyond Heinz ketchup.
The move comes as Kraft Heinz prepares to restructure its business by splitting into two companies—one dedicated to sauces, spreads, and seasonings, and another focused on grocery staples such as Lunchables and Oscar Mayer. Such transitions often involve significant IT challenges, including migrating workloads and untangling legacy systems.
Despite broader market headwinds, CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera said AI remains central to Kraft Heinz’s strategy. “From improving demand forecasting to optimizing factory floor processes, we are driving end-to-end improvement,” he told analysts during the company’s Q2 2025 earnings call.
Industry analysts say adoption of AI tools remains uneven. A March report from S&P Global Market Intelligence found that 42% of companies have abandoned most of their AI projects, up sharply from 17% in 2024, citing weak business alignment and implementation hurdles.
Kraft Heinz, however, says its focus on practical, worker-facing use cases—such as pickle production and supply chain optimization—has helped avoid many of those pitfalls.
“We know it’s essential that we preserve and protect our subject matter experts’ knowledge and commitment to quality,” Nestor said. “The Cookbook is just the beginning.”