Kraft Heinz’s CEO has a clean-eating lifestyle at odds with all that processed food — but he insists it shares his health mission

Food giant Kraft Heinz is aiming to offer customers healthier products and improve the nutritional value of some of its staple items, such as ketchup, he said.

But the company has faced scrutiny over some of its recent moves.

Last year, Kraft Heinz made headlines after it was revealed that it had tweaked the ingredients of its “Lunchables” snack so that they would qualify for the National School Lunch Program, meaning it could serve them directly in schools across the US.

Nutritionists were quick to express concern about the news, with Rachel Rothman, a pediatric dietitian based in San Diego who specializes in picky eaters, previously telling Business Insider that the standard version of the snacks was high in sodium and made of processed cheese.

Research has linked the consumption of ultra-processed foods to increased risk of health issues, the BMJ medical journal has said.

Abrams Rivera told The Journal that the processing of many of Kraft Heinz’s products was necessary to supply a growing population, however.

“We cannot get perfectly raw ingredients,” he added.

Nevertheless, the CEO said he remained committed to cutting sodium and sugar from Kraft Heinz’s products, per The Journal.

But he added that the move would undoubtedly take time: “It’s not a one-year thing, it’s not a one-moment thing. You have to bring consumers along with this journey.”

It comes as concern over obesity levels is on the rise.

US obesity prevalence in 2017 to March 2020 was 41.9%, up from 30.5% in 1999 to 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prevalence of severe obesity also climbed from 4.7% to 9.2% over the same period, it said.