I’m calling it a ‘river’ because it keeps moving and changing. It used to be that “tomato sauce” as it’s called in the UK was Catsup. So were all the other competitors to Heinz Ketchup. Only Heinz called it Ketchup. That seems to have changed. There are many condiments using the name “Ketchup” on the market. Heinz Ketchup is the 800 pound gorilla and the king of condiments by sales. The good news is we’re not doomed to consume only Heinz, as discussed in this information article from 2004 ‘The Ketchup Conundrum”
from the early 1900’s
Heinz Organic Ketchup, a BRAND I thought I could count on, until recently, had the 4 ingredients that the original used to have.
Tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and ground spices. It met my 3 ingredient rule because spices are spices.
- Tomatoes
- Vinegar
- Sugar
- Ground Spices
But in only a year, the ingredients have changed, yet again.
- Tomatoes from concentrate
- Vinegar
- Cane Sugar
- Salt
- Onion Powder
- Spice
- Natural Flavoring
I bought this bottle based on the BRAND, which had acceptable ingredients in my prior purchases. They fooled me, I feel betrayed. Had I read the ingredients label, I would have left it on the shelf. Now they are marketing based on the organic certification.
Why do i need “Natural Flavoring” chemicals or the adulteration of concentrate in my ketchup? onion powder, also heavily processed gives me heartburn.
It’s even worse if you buy the regular ketchup rather than the organic:
A Great Substitution:
I’ve found a great and stellar substitution. Instead of using the chemical mix called ketchup, I use Imported Italian Tomato paste – available from Amazon or most stores. It’s made from Non-GMO Italian Tomatoes. 1 Ingredient from a source using farming methods I can trust. If i want the onion i can slice one up and put it on my burger. I can add my own un-processed salt if i like. Salt is a preservative and when used in large quantities, like in processed food, hides flavor. These flavors pop without much salt. People on a restricted salt diet can easily make substitutes like this that improve flavor rather than mask it. Imported Tomato Paste, a healthy alternative.
Imported Non-GMO Tomatoes
from Italy
Photo by Dan Scolnick
1 ingredient. TOMATOES.
from a farm that also produces eggs, milk and nuts.
Photo by Dan Scolnick
IKnowTheCow 
That term “natural flavors” can be so deceptive!
To quote an article at a site called Healthline:
“The original source of natural flavors must be plant or animal material. However, natural flavors are highly processed and contain many chemical additives.”
Not sure of that site’s overall reliability, but that relates well to the definitive source, the Code of Federal Regulations (https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=501.22)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Natural Flavoring is added to Heinz Ketchup. Natural Flavoring is a commercial-grade vague banner term for a collection of ingredients that are Not In Kitchen™. According to the Environmental Working Group, “Added flavoring, both natural and artificial, could contain anywhere from 50 to 100 ingredients. The mixture will often have some solvent and preservatives – and that makes up 80 to 90 percent of the volume (of the flavoring) . . . it still has artificial ingredients.”
“In a database of over 80,000 foods, ‘Natural Flavors’ is actually the fourth most common ingredient used in processed food. The only ingredients that come before it? Salt, water and sugar.” — EWG
LikeLike
i’ve been meaning to do a blog on ‘Natural Flavors”, maybe that one will be soon.
there is also a term used for these laboratory compounds big agra puts in food that you can’t actually buy on the shelves. they call it “NIK” for “Not In Kitchen”.
LikeLike