Heinz Settles Debate – Should Ketchup be Stored in the Fridge?

The maker of the most famous brand of ketchup in the United States has finally weighed in officially on an online debate that has been raging for years. The question has to do with ketchup. The popular tomato-based condiment is in just about every American home and if you look between the seats of our cars, you can probably find a few packets of the stuff there too.

While ketchup and its uses are hotly debated topics this time of year, should you put ketchup on a steak, does ketchup go on a hot dog, should you drizzle your fries in ketchup or do you make a pool of ketchup for dipping are just some of the spirited discussions I have been privy to over the past few weeks. But alas there is one question that really shouldn't be a matter of opinion, it should be a fact.

The reason this question needs an absolute answer is that it deals more with food safety than it does a flavor or texture preference. The question is simply this, should ketchup be stored in a refrigerator or cooler?

When you purchase ketchup it's not refrigerated. When they hand you packets of ketchup out of the drive-thru window, those packets aren't cold. So, that begs the question, does ketchup need to be refrigerated after it has been opened?

Here's what the folks at Heinz Tweeted out on Tuesday:

According to the ketchup experts at Heinz, ketchup should be stored in the fridge. Now it should be noted that is after the product has been opened. Heinz also suggests that you use the product within eight weeks or about two months.

Personally, I like cold or at least cool ketchup on very hot and crispy French fries. I think the temperature difference adds to the ambiance of the experience. And the cooling gel keeps the roof of my mouth and tongue from being burned too badly because I didn't allow the fries to cool down.

Oddly enough, in another Twitter poll the folks at Heinz found out that there is a large disparity over where ketchup should be stored. Only 53% of the poll's respondents said the fridge, the other responders all opted to keep their condiments in the cupboard. And when asked about why they sell ketchup off the shelf but expect consumers to put the product in a refrigerator the ketchup giant responded this way, " Look how you buy and store your soft drinks or beer".  That would be check and mate, the point goes to Heinz.