Get ready folks as the age old ketchup debate is about to be settled. Picture this scenario, you’ve just arrived home from the supermarket and are in the process of unloading your shopping, where does the shiny new bottle ketchup go? In the fridge of the in the cupboard?
It’s a relatively tame dilemma and yet it’s one which has caused disruption and division in households up and down the British Isles.
Fridge purists will point to the fact that several bottles come with the label ‘keep refrigerated’ and argue that a cooler temperature will help the sauce stay fresh for longer.
Meanwhile cupboard supporters will argue to the ends of the Earth about how restaurants keep ketchup at room temperature and that the sauce contains high levels of preservatives anyway, meaning that it’s unlikely to spoil regardless of storing conditions.
Who knew a simple condiment could cause so much division, we’re not even joking – check out this recent Reddit thread to see how heated people get on the topic:
Therefore, it’s time to call in the big guns – aka the people at Heinz – in order to settle the debate once and for all. As one of the most iconic ketchup producers, Heinz, is sure to have some authority on the topic.
And die-hard cupboard lovers you might want to look away now, as the company come down hard in favour of keeping the famous red sauce in the fridge.
“There was only ever one correct answer, and we’re happy to share with Heinz Tomato Ketchup lovers that our ketchup has to be in the fridge,” Heinz representative Olivia Lennon told MailOnline (via The Mirror).
Acknowledging that a good deal of the nation prefers their ketchup on the milder side, she continued: “Although we’re aware many Heinz Tomato Ketchup fans have been storing their ketchup in the cupboard, we do recommend refrigeration after opening.
Heinz has come out in support of ketchup in the fridge (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
“This is the best way to maintain the delicious tangy taste of our Heinz Tomato Ketchup that you know and love.”
This would explain the ‘For Best Results, Refrigerate After Opening’ label, which means that ketchup is good to go in the cupboard until you chuck it on your chips for the first time – after that, it’s time to put it in the fridge.
The brand previously stated their allegiance to the fridge back in 2023, writing on X: FYI: “Ketchup. goes. in. the. fridge!!!”
However, this is unlikely to settle the debate, as a doctor has previously argued ketchup is fine to be stored in the cupboard.
Speaking to Which?, dietitian Dr Sarah Schenker said: “Sometimes people keep ketchup in the fridge, simply because they prefer a chilled taste, but otherwise it doesn’t need to be refrigerated.”
She also gave her expert opinion on where other condiments need to be stored.
Where should you store mayonnaise? (Getty Stock Images)
Brown sauce can go in the cupboard since ‘it’s vinegar-based, so keeping it in the fridge isn’t necessary’.
Mustard too doesn’t need to go in the fridge, ‘although keeping it in the fridge may help to preserve its kick and punchiness for longer’.
However mayonnaise and salad cream need to be kept in the fridge.
Ultimately, the ketchup debate might all come down to personal preference. As one Redditor argued that it’s unlikely to have too much of an impact on your dinner either way.
“Nobody ever, in the history of ketchup, has encountered gone off ketchup,” they wrote.
Featured Image Credit: (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
