`Knowledge in a Nutshell' Full of Fun and Surprising
Facts About the `57 Varieties' Company
PITTSBURGH, May 11, 2000 /PRNewswire/ -- Everyone knows the "57 Varieties"
slogan -- but you'll need Knowledge in a Nutshell(TM) on Popular Products
Heinz Edition to find out that H.J. Heinz Company already had more than
57 different products when the slogan became world famous.
Tantalizing Tidbits
The "57 Varieties" story and more than 500 other fun facts and amazing
tales are available in Knowledge in a Nutshell on Popular Products Heinz
Edition, a collaboration by author Charles Reichblum and Heinz retiree John
Dryer. Food is something everyone can relate to, and this latest edition of
Knowledge in a Nutshell is well stocked with food-related stories and
anecdotes, ranging from why we call hot dogs "hot dogs" to how Charlie the
Tuna came to be. The pint-sized publication is the third in a series of
Knowledge in a Nutshell books from arpr publishing and reveals fascinating
facts such as:
-- How Heinz Founder Henry J. Heinz literally sank his competition
-- Why we call accountants "bean counters"
-- How ketchup got its name
-- How Morris the 9-Lives Cat was "discovered"
-- What honeybees and pickles have in common
-- What popular food product was used as a medicine in 400 B.C.
-- How vinegar can help you with common household chores
Nutshell Nuggets
Charles Reichblum is the author of Knowledge in a Nutshell and Knowledge
in a Nutshell on Sports. When the success of his book series prompted a third
book, Pittsburgh native Reichblum quickly turned his attention to
Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz Company. "I had always wondered why `ketchup' has
so many spellings, and how it got its name," Reichblum said. "Heinz was the
perfect place to start my research, and the more I dug, the more I realized
Heinz was a natural for our Popular Products series."
The company's 130-plus years of history were a gold mine of fascinating
stories. For one thing, Founder Henry J. Heinz was a colorful figure who
virtually created the modern food-processing industry. "People will be
astounded when they find out how Henry J. Heinz helped pass the first Pure
Food and Drug Act," Reichblum said. "Teddy Roosevelt and a shot of whiskey
played a big part!"
Reichblum has the ideal background to write the Nutshell books. As
President of Century Features, Inc. news service, which syndicates weekly
features to media across the world, Reichblum has earned the nickname "Dr.
Knowledge." For more than 50 years he has been collecting interesting facts
on a variety of topics, such as baseball's home run that traveled only
6 inches and the man who was present when three U.S. Presidents were
assassinated.
Hitch Happenings
Equally well-suited to collaborate with Reichblum on compiling facts and
stories about the famed food company is John Dryer, General Manager of the
Heinz Hitch, a replica of one of the very first Heinz delivery wagons from the
late 1800s. The fiery-red wagon is drawn by eight magnificent Percheron
horses and tours the country as a living history lesson for the company.
"Leading the Heinz Hitch team across the country has shown me that people
everywhere love Heinz products," Dryer said. "I was honored to work with
Chuck to help bring these unique, unknown stories to the public."
Dryer began his stint as General Manager of the Hitch after 32 years with
Heinz U.S.A., during which he held the position of General Manager of Research
and Product Quality Assurance. As such he is among a small group who knows
the secret recipe for Heinz Ketchup, one of the few secrets you won't find in
Knowledge in a Nutshell on Popular Products Heinz Edition. And, Dryer adds,
"Wild horses couldn't drag that recipe out of me, and I'm certainly around
enough of them!"
For an explanation of how Heinz came to have "57 Varieties," and a host of
other fun facts about food and H.J. Heinz Company, you'll want to pick up
Knowledge in a Nutshell on Popular Products Heinz Edition at your local
bookstore. You can also order the book directly from Knowledge in a Nutshell,
Inc. at http://www.KnowledgeinaNutshell.com, or 1-800-NUTSHELL.
About H.J. Heinz Company
With sales over US$9 billion, H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE: HNZ) is one of the
world's leading marketers of branded foods to supermarkets and away-from-home
eating establishments. Its 50 companies operate in some 200 countries,
offering more than 57 hundred varieties. Among the company's famous brands
are Heinz, StarKist, Ore-Ida, 9-Lives, Weight Watchers, Wattie's, Plasmon,
Farley's, Smart Ones, The Budget Gourmet, Linda McCartney, San Marco, Go
Ahead!, Bagel Bites, John West, Petit Navire, Boston Market, Skippy, Kibbles
'n Bits, Pounce, Wagwells, Nature's Recipe, Orlando, ABC, Olivine and
Pudliszki. For more information about H.J. Heinz Company and its Heinz Hitch,
visit the Heinz corporate Web site at http://www.heinz.com.
SOURCE H.J. Heinz Company
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Related links:
http://www.heinz.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/575757.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 575757
CONTACT:
Audrey of arpr, 412-765-2020, or
audrey@KnowledgeinaNutshell.com, or Kristin Sofran of Jack Horner
Communications, 412-473-3407, or kristins@jackhorner.com, for
H.J. Heinz
NOTE TO EDITORS: This release is also available on PRNewswire's
Company News On-Call at
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/575757.html and
http://www.jackhorner.com. Available for interviews: Charles Reichblum,
Author John Dryer, General Manager - Heinz Hitch Debbie Foster,
Director - Corporate Communications, H.J. Heinz Company
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