Heinz is commonly recognized for taking an ingredient that is central to Italian cuisine, the tomato, and transforming it into a table condiment enjoyed by over 300 million Americans known as ketchup. While the brand also sells several other products like dressings, sauces, and soups, Heinz’s latest release in their pasta category will leave Italians baffled: Spaghetti Carbonara.
This Roman dish traditionally features five main components: egg, guanciale, pasta, pecorino, and pepper. However, Heinz’s version takes a different approach by substituting pancetta for guanciale while also including additives and preservatives like sodium ascorbate and maltodextrin. Although the new product contains no artificial colors, this pasta dish isn’t exactly the carbonara your nonna used to make.
Even so, Kraft Heinz Meals Director Alessandra de Dreuille couldn’t be prouder of the meal she is calling “the perfect solution for a quick and satisfying meal at home.” “We understand that people are looking for convenient meals that are effortless to prepare, and our new spaghetti carbonara delivers just that,” said de Dreuille. As you might expect, her opinion may be a bit biased, and Italians are calling her out on it.
Alessandro Pipero of the famous Pipero restaurant in Rome has been hailed for the flavor and authenticity of his carbonara dish, and the Michelin-star chef didn’t mince words when asked about the £2 canned food item set to be released in the UK: “Do you mean in a tin, like cat food?” Even Daniela Santanchè, Italy’s Minister of Tourism, couldn’t hold back criticism, suggesting the canned pasta is better suited for rats than humans.
Social media users also contributed to the conversation by voicing their displeasure, echoing Pipero’s and Santanchè’s sentiment that the spaghetti might sell more units at Petco than at Costco. While the Heinz UK website boasts about the dish’s low fat and sugar content as “key benefits” of the product, the general public seems to agree that the actual benefits are few and far between.
Heinz, stick to ketchup. I was disappointed with your sauce let alone carbonara in a can.