To refrigerate or not to refrigerate? That is the question.
Ketchup manufacturer Heinz attempted to settle the debate about where customers should keep their ketchup by tweeting the company’s thoughts on the matter, causing social media users to chime in.
The online discussion began Tuesday when Heinz UK tweeted “FYI: Ketchup. goes. in. the. Fridge!”
The company then followed up with a poll asking people where they keep their ketchup. As of Thursday morning, nearly 60% of respondents said they keep the condiment in the fridge.
Social media debates
One Twitter user responded and asked why ketchup isn’t in the fridge at supermarkets and restaurants.
“Many restaurants and fast food places don’t refrigerate their ketchup,” responded another Twitter user. “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.”
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And another pointed out one indisputable fact: “not to mention the back of all condiment bottles literally says ‘refrigerate after opening.’“
Refrigeration isn’t needed: USDA
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.”
The agency warned that ketchup may not be as fresh and it may change texture and color if kept past its expiration date though, so be sure to check those dates.
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
As for Heinz and the newly-revived debate, some social media users got a laugh out of it and had theories about why Heinz wants customers to put their ketchup in the fridge.
“Heinz only want to to put it in the fridge because you look in the fridge a … lot more than you do in the cupboard,” the person tweeted. “Thus you’ll be tempted to use it more often.”
Heinz is running its poll for another 19 hours at www.tinyurl.com/HeinzK for those who want to chime in.
So, where do you keep your ketchup?
