News of the imminent release of chocolate flavoured oven chips under the Ore Ida Funky Fries brand name has angered many US nutritionists; who have slammed US food giant Heinz for making an unhealthy snack increasingly irresistible to children.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Heinz says that the purple-packaged “Cocoa Crispers”, which will reach US supermarket shelves by May, were designed after extensive market research. They will be marketed “for kids with a sweet tooth” and accompanied by four other flavour varieties of Funky Fries, including the brightly blue coloured “Kool Blue” chip.


Dr Barbara Rolls, a nutritionist at Pennsylvania State University, insisted however that the creation is equal to offering children the chance to commit “nutritional suicide”.


She told the Daily Telegraph: “Kids don’t know about nutrition, so to design food solely to satisfy what they like to eat is nutritional suicide.


“We’re already in the middle of an epidemic of childhood obesity. I think it’s time the food industry had some accountability.”

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

To read more about the launch of these chips, click here.


 

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact