Kraft Heinz Launches the Internet of Sauce with a Customizable, Connected Sauce-Mixing Machine

The Internet of Sauce (IoS) is finally upon us, as Kraft Heinz unveils what it claims is the world's first digital sauce dispenser to allow consumers to customize their condiments on-demand — with a built-in control system to prevent horrendous flavor combination crimes from being committed.

"Heinz Remix is a great example of [our] consumer-first approach to innovation," claims Kraft Heinz' Alan Kleinerman of the company's creation. "We're changing the game for foodservice operators and sauce lovers — dipping will never be the same. With Heinz Remix, it’s more than a sauce dispenser; it's an insights engine and business model enabler that will help Kraft Heinz understand and respond to consumer trends and flavor preferences in real-time. Who knows – maybe our next new sauce combination will come from a superfan using Heinz Remix!"

The internet-connected sauce dispenser machines are very clearly inspired by existing customizable fountain drink dispensers like Coca-Cola's Freestyle machines. An empty pot is placed in the mouth of the machine and the chosen sauce — dispensed from large sachets hidden in the machine — selected using a touch-screen interface.

Like Freestyle, though, the machine's biggest feature is the ability to mix-and-match flavors. Where a Freestyle allows you to have half-Sprite half-Fanta or add a shot of cherry flavor to your Coke, though, the Heinz Remix allows you to mix sauce flavors instead. Either thankfully or sadly, depending on personal point of view, the machine doesn't offer unlimited freedom; instead of freely mixing any sauces of your choice, you're given the choice of Ketchup, Ranch, 57 Sauce, and BBQ Sauce "bases" which can then be modified with jalapeño, smoky chipotle, buffalo, and mango "enhancers" at one of three "intensity" levels.

"The launch of Heinz Remix is a first for the sauce category and foodservice industry," claims Kraft-Heinz' Peter Hall. "It's a great example of how we're leveraging culinary insights and category knowledge to drive greater value for our customers and consumers. Our ambition is to be the leader for taste, flavor and experience anywhere you're eating, and we’re delivering on that goal with category leading innovations like Heinz Remix."

Like rival devices in the Internet of Things (IoT), however, the Internet of Sauce's true value may lie in its connectivity. In addition to monitoring the condiment supplies and alerting — or automatically ordering — when levels are running low, Heinz Remix will capture a wealth of data from sauce volume per customer to preferred flavor combinations. The latter could even, the company has hinted, lead to bottled varieties of the same mixtures, joining the company's divisive and trademarked "MAYOCHUP."

The machine is to be demonstrated at the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago later this month, Kraft Heinz has confirmed, with pilot deployments to begin late 2023.