Kraft Heinz Oscar Mayer overhaul
The Oscar Mayer line now has no added nitrates or nitrites, no artificial preservatives in the meat and no byproducts in any of the hot dogs.

CHICAGO — The Kraft Heinz Co. has given its Oscar Mayer brand a clean label conversion. The entire line now has no added nitrates or nitrites, no artificial preservatives in the meat and no byproducts in any of the hot dogs.

“Oscar Mayer is America’s most iconic hot dog brand, and, as the equity leader, we felt it was time to take a stand for the love of a better hot dog,” said Greg Guidotti, head of marketing at Oscar Mayer. “We heard from hot dog fans across the country that they wanted a hot dog without artificial preservatives in meat or added nitrates and nitrites — all without compromising on the great Oscar Mayer taste they know and love.”

Kraft Heinz Oscar Mayer overhaul
Kraft Heinz spent more than a year perfecting the recipes for the reformulated Oscar Mayer products.

The makeover is more than a year in the making, Kraft Heinz said, as the company tested and tinkered with several recipes over the past months.

“While it wasn’t an easy task, we’re excited to say that we did it,” Mr. Guidotti said. “Across every single one of our hot dogs … No added nitrates or nitrites. No artificial preservatives. No byproducts. And, all while delivering the same great taste. Oscar Mayer is the first national brand to do it across every single one of our hot dogs, and we did this without changing the price to our consumers. We’re excited that everyone will now have access to a better quality hot dog with the best quality ingredients.”

 
Kraft Heinz’s Oscar Mayer overhaul follows a similar effort from Tyson Foods Inc. Last month, Tyson said it had removed all added nitrites and nitrates from its Ball Park brand beef hot dogs, in addition to eliminating by-products and added fillers from its meat line.