Heinz sales hit by Atkins diet

THE growing popularity of low-carbohydrate diets such as Atkins has hit sales of Heinz frozen foods.

Sales of frozen foods such as Ore-Ida potatoes have declined, H.J. Heinz said yesterday after reporting a 9.7% drop in second-quarter profits.

Heinz, the world’s biggest ketchup maker, said net income declined to $191.5 million, or 54 cents a share, from $212.1 million, or 60 cents, a year earlier. Sales in the three months ended October 29 fell less than 1% to $2.09 billion, the Pittsburgh-based Heinz said.