Oprah Winfrey launches new venture: refrigerated meals

Oprah Winfrey, who gave a boost to Weight Watchers International Inc. by becoming the face of the company, is now embarking on a plan to sell refrigerated meals with Kraft Heinz.

The media magnate is starting a joint venture with Kraft called Mealtime Stories, aiming to make nutritious food more widely available, according to a statement Wednesday. Kraft will develop and sell the new line, which will initially focus on ready-to-eat refrigerated dishes.

Winfrey is known for having far-reaching influence when she lends her imprimatur to a business or touts a book. After she joined Weight Watchers' board and bought a 10 percent stake in 2015, shares of the long-suffering company rallied.

With the new product line, Kraft is clearly trying to capitalize on the talk-show veteran's marketing prowess, according to Ken Shea, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence

"She's shown that she lends credibility to a brand," Shea said. "This is a logical way to invest in that category."

Kraft shares rose as much as 0.7 percent to $89.50 in late trading after the news was released. Weight Watchers also gained, climbing 6.1 percent to $12.75.

Weight Watchers has no connection to the Mealtime effort, though the companies have a long history: In an earlier incarnation, Heinz owned the weight-loss program. Investors may be betting that Winfrey expanding her presence in the food industry will benefit Weight Watchers.

Heinz owned Weight Watchers for several years before selling the business to Artal, a private investment company, for $735 million in 1999. Heinz was then acquired in 2015 by Kraft Foods in a deal orchestrated by Warren Buffett and the private equity firm 3G Capital. That transaction created the third-largest food and beverage company in North America. The combined company continues to make a line of frozen meals and desserts called Weight Watchers Smart Ones under a licensing agreement.

In December, Weight Watchers shares jumped as much as 19 percent after Winfrey said she'd lost 40 pounds using the program. It was the latest example of her goosing the shares of a debt-saddled company that was losing subscribers before she got involved.

With the new partnership, Kraft is hoping that Winfrey's sway will lift a category of products — refrigerated meals — that are out of step with current consumer trends.