Should Ketchup Be Refrigerated? Heinz Weighs in on the Debate https://t.co/dp0eVXUUgd
— People (@people) June 29, 2023
On Tuesday, the Heinz U.K. Twitter account tweeted the company’s hard stance on where the tomato-based condiment belongs. “FYI: Ketchup. goes. in. the. fridge!!!” the brand wrote in a tweet. This caused a debate online with people pushing back in the replies and on social media. “No it doesn’t. You stick to production and I’ll deal with consumption.”
Another user weighed in with their own take saying, “If it was meant to be in the fridge, they’d put it there at supermarkets.” A user replied, writing, “Cause it's not been opened at the supermarket.”
Bottles in the US clearly state “For Best Results, Refrigerate After Opening." But that doesn't seem to stop some people. “It's not in the fridge in most restaurants or fast food restaurants either tbf. As well as burger stands etc etc,” responded another Twitter user. A response explained, “It's because they go through it so quickly that it doesn't have time to spoil. However, they usually store their ketchup in a cool, dry place to keep it from going bad or spoiling.”
The United States Department of Agriculture said on its website that shelf-stable foods such as ketchup do not need to be refrigerated and are "safe indefinitely."
For those who do want to refrigerate their condiments after opening them, the USDA provided a guide:
Ketchup, cocktail or chili sauce – Refrigerate for 6 months
Chutney – Refrigerate for 1 to 2 months
Horseradish – Refrigerate for 3 to 4 months
Mustard – Refrigerate for 12 months
Olives – Refrigerate for 2 weeks
Pickles – Refrigerate for 1 to 3 months
In the past, some stars have weighed in with their opinions.
In a July 2018 video, Jennifer Lopez appeared on the dating-app Tinder’s YouTube channel to swipe on potential matches for a fan. “If you store your ketchup in the fridge, we’re not going to work out,” read Lopez. She looks up to the camera with a blank look on her face before swatting the air saying, “bye bye him."
In Aug. 2019, Cardi B tweeted out her opinion: “People who put their ketchup in the fridge are not to be trusted.”
FYI: Ketchup. goes. in. the. fridge!!!
— Heinz (@HeinzUK) June 27, 2023
Sources:1 | 2 | 3