Pittsburgh, PA, March 22, 2004 – In light of some misleading speculation, the H. J. Heinz Company would like to make clear that neither Mrs. Teresa Heinz Kerry, Senator John Kerry nor any member of their family is involved in the management or board of the H. J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ).  They have no involvement in the Heinz® Ketchup business or any of the company’s other brands or products.

The H. J. Heinz Company, in accordance with its corporate governance policies, is a non-partisan organization.

Neither Mrs. Heinz Kerry nor Senator Kerry nor any of the Heinz trusts or endowments – either individually or collectively – holds a significant percentage of shares of the H. J. Heinz Company.  In 1995 the Heinz Endowments and family trusts sold a large percentage of Heinz shares in a secondary share offering to diversify their holdings.  As a result, their current holdings are under 4 percent.

There is no connection between any philanthropic programs of the H. J. Heinz Company and its Foundation and the Heinz family interests (including the Howard Heinz Endowment, the Vira Heinz Endowment, and the Heinz Family Philanthropies).

Currently, 60% of the sales of the H. J. Heinz Company are outside the United States and to accommodate those customers by providing facilities closer to those markets, the company maintains a number of overseas facilities that provide products for consumers in those markets.  This allows Heinz to pack the freshest ingredients, tailor its recipes to local tastes and deliver the final products in a timely and efficient manner.  In the United States, Heinz makes its flagship ketchup in factories in Fremont, Ohio; Muscatine, Iowa; and Stockton, California.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• H. J. Heinz Company was founded in 1869 by Henry John Heinz, a native of the Pittsburgh area. For 135 years, the Heinz Company has stood for pure foods and great taste.  It remains headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Today, its Chairman, President and CEO is William R. Johnson.

• The last Heinz family member to be involved in management with the company was H. J. “Jack” Heinz II, who served as the company’s chairman until his death in 1987.  Since that time, no family member has been employed by the company and none has served on its board of directors.

• The late Senator H. John Heinz III (Pennsylvania – Republican) did work briefly in the 1960s in the company’s marketing department before embarking upon his career in politics.  He was tragically killed in a helicopter accident in 1991.

• It has long been the Heinz Company’s policy to refrain from commenting on presidential campaigns.  The company does not communicate consumer comments to any candidates.

ABOUT HEINZ: H.J. Heinz Company is one of the world’s leading producers and marketers of branded foods in ketchup, condiments, sauces, meals, soups, seafood, snacks and infant foods.  Heinz is a global family of leading brands, including Heinz® Ketchup, sauces, soups, beans, pasta and infant foods (representing nearly one-third of total sales), Ore-Ida® french fries, Boston Market® and Smart Ones® meals and Plasmon® baby food.  Heinz’s 50 companies have number-one or number-two brands in 200 countries, showcased by Heinz® Ketchup, the world’s favorite ketchup.  Information on Heinz is available at www.heinz.com/news.