Top food producers adapt to changing tastes

Article Excerpt

These three leading foodmakers continue to struggle as consumers switch to more healthful alternatives. In response, each company has focused on developing new products with less salt and sugar. It will likely take some time for these moves to shore up their sales. Meantime, an aggressive cost-cutting plan gives each of the three producers more cash for dividends and share buybacks. KRAFT HEINZ CO. $85 (Nasdaq symbol KHC; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $102.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.2; Dividend yield: 2.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.kraftheinzcompany.com) makes condiments and sauces (such as Heinz Ketchup). Its other packaged foods include Velveeta and Philadelphia Cream Cheese, processed meats (such as Oscar Meyer hot dogs) and beverages (such as Maxwell House coffee). Kraft Heinz took its current form in July 2015, with the merger of Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz. Today’s firm is the world’s fifth-largest food and beverage producer. In the three months ended July 1, 2017, sales fell 1.7%,…