People all across the country will be firing up the grill this July 4th holiday and many of them will be using a steak sauce made right here in Iowa. Heinz 57 Sauce has been produced at a plant in Muscatine for over a century.
Steve McNulty is the facility manager at the plant, which has nearly 350 employees. He says the origin of the name "Heinz 57" came in 1936. H.J. Heinz created the slogan "57 varieties of goodness" after seeing an advertisement in New York for "21 styles of shoes."
McNulty says Heinz chose the number 57 because he thought it was a lucky number, even though he made more than 60 products at the time. Heinz 57 Sauce is only one of the many products produced in Muscatine.
The plant also produces gravy, ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauces, other steak sauces, and the single-serve packets found at restaurants.
McNulty says the Muscatine plant opened in 1892 and Heinz chose the location because it provided good soil for growing tomatoes.