Heinz Revamps Ketchup Packets

America's go-to to-go condiment just got a makeover: After weathering complaints about its ketchup packet for 40 years—too small, too messy, too tough to open—Heinz has unveiled a new design that has a cup-like base for dipping. A tear-off end still allows for squeezing, and it hold three times the ketchup of the traditional packet.

"The packet has long been the bane of our consumers," said the vice president of Heinz Ketchup. "The biggest complaint is there is no way to dip and eat it on-the-go." To that end, the company bought its design team a used minivan two years ago to test if their ideas really worked while eating on the road. Heinz will continue to sell the traditional packet; the new packet is in test markets in the Midwest and Southeast and will roll out at select fast-food restaurants in the fall.
(More Heinz ketchup stories.)