Heinz, known for their tomato ketchup and variety of other sauces, caused a stir on Twitter with a tweet made on Tuesday.
The tweet said, “FYI: Ketchup. goes. in. the. fridge!!!”
FYI: Ketchup. goes. in. the. fridge!!!
— Heinz (@HeinzUK) June 27, 2023
Twitter users were divided, not only over the punctuation in the Tweet, but because many disagreed with the manufacturer.
To settle the dispute, Heinz released a Twitter poll that accumulated 13,178 votes. 63.2% of the voters agreed with Heinz, saying that they keep their ketchup in the fridge but 36.8% of the respondents said they kept their ketchup in the cupboard.
Where do you keep yours? It has to be… in the fridge!
— Heinz (@HeinzUK) June 28, 2023
Many Twitter respondents argued that the poll did not include their storage routine.
“In the cupboard until opened then in the fridge, doesn't everyone?” asked @SassyLou31
In the cupboard until opened then in the fridge, doesn't everyone?
— SarahLee (@SassyLou31) June 28, 2023
The debate seems to have left Twitter and invaded the home of some ketchup lovers, who state that their house needs multiple bottles to accommodate everyone’s preference.
“cold ketchup? ewww no lol we have one in the fridge bc my son likes it cold & one in the pantry bc the rest of us like it room temperature,” tweeted @AngieMG1208.
cold ketchup? ewww nolol we have one in the fridge bc my son likes it cold & one in the pantry bc the rest of us like it room temperature.
— Angie Gomez (@AngieMG1208) June 29, 2023
What do the experts say?
As The Jerusalem Post reported in 2022, Ketchup should not be stored in the fridge until after it is opened!
Experts are convinced that it is desirable to keep it outside the refrigerator and although in many restaurants you can see bottles of ketchup that sit outside for a whole day without refrigeration - you should know that Nicole Kulwicki, the brand manager of Heinz ketchup, says that the product does not need refrigeration - until after it is opened.
"Due to its natural acidity, Heinz ketchup is shelf-stable," she said. "However, its stability after opening can be affected by storage conditions. We recommend keeping it refrigerated after opening to maintain the best product quality."