Design

H J Heinz has put Heinz Tomato Ketchup in a lightweight recyclable PET bottle and replaced the little green gherkin on the £100m brand's label for the first time in 132 years with a plump tomato on a vine.

The food giant said switching to "crystal clear" PET would reduce the total weight of Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottles by 9% and save 340 tonnes of plastic a year.

The clarity of the plastic would highlight the rich, red tomato sauce that now contained more tomatoes, the firm added.

The shape of the bottle has also been streamlined and a new 'easy peel' seal has made it easier to open.

Heinz Sauces marketing director Adrian Mooney said Heinz was one of the first firms to sign up to the Courtauld Commitment, which pledges to deliver absolute reductions in packaging by 2010.

"The introduction of PET is one further example of how Heinz is taking action and helping consumers to do their bit too," he said.

Heinz said the contemporary label was the first significant new design in more than 40 years and the 'Grown Not Made' strapline under the image of the tomato emphasised that the product contained only fresh, natural ingredients.

The redesign was handled by the Vibrandt agency in Windsor, which also freshened up the green and gold key lines on the label and moved Heinz's royal warrant to the front of the bottle on the neck label, helping to emphasise the brand's quality.

In addition, Vibrandt designed the shelf-ready packaging, which also uses the Grown Not Made strapline and the image of the tomato on the vine, as well as supporting the natural ingredients with a wooden tomato crate effect.

Heinz Tomato Ketchup was introduced in 1876. The new-look version will be in-store this month.