Hindus are asking for an official apology from Chicago and Pittsburgh co-headquartered Kraft Heinz for non-disclosure of beef in its various food products; and their immediate recall.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that it was shocking for Hindus to learn that many popular Kraft Heinz products like JELL-O, which they had been eating for years, contained beef; while beef was not explicitly mentioned under the ingredients listed on the packages/boxes.

Zed, who is President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, stated that many Kraft Heinz products contained gelatin, but the source of gelatin was not mentioned under the “Ingredients” on packages/boxes. When Zed contacted the company, Kraft Heinz Consumer Relations responded, “All gelatin is made from collagen, a protein that comes from animal hides. The gelatin used by Kraft Heinz comes from both beef and pork sources.”

Consumption of beef is highly conflicting with Hindu beliefs. Cow, the seat of many deities, is sacred and has long been venerated in Hinduism; Rajan Zed points out.

It was a very serious issue for the devotees and would severely hurt their feelings if they came to know that they were unknowingly eating beef-laced Kraft Heinz products, Zed noted. Is this the same Kraft Heinz whose claimed “Value” is: “We do the right thing”? Zed asked.

Rajan Zed further said that it was hard to comprehend why Kraft Heinz, "a global powerhouse” which claims to “feed the world in healthy, responsible ways”, did not mention explicitly under the ingredients on the packages/boxes the source of gelatin used in its products.

Now was the time for Kraft Heinz to admit their error of not being transparent enough to mention in clear and simple terms what was inside the package/box so that an ordinary consumer could make the right and appropriate choices, Zed indicated. Moreover, in future, Kraft Heinz should explicitly list beef in the ingredients on the package/box when beef is present in the product; Zed added.

Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion in the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought, and it should not be taken frivolously. No faith, larger or smaller, should be mishandled; Rajan Zed remarked.

Besides apologising; Zed urged Kraft Heinz CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera and its Board Chair Miguel Patricio; to recall all packages/boxes of products containing gelatin where the source of gelatin was not clearly mentioned; and later replace these with packages/boxes which markedly declared the source of gelatin under the ingredients label.

One of the largest food and beverage companies in the world, in over 40 countries; with 2023 net sales of about $27 billion; Kraft Heinz claims to be a globally trusted producer of delicious foods.