Why tomato sauce should be stored in the fridge - Health

Jul 08, 2024

Red alert!

In a wildly chaotic Twitter (yes, we know it’s called X but we’re all adults here) thread last year, Heinz put to bed the debate over whether tomato sauce/ketchup should be kept in the fridge or in the cupboard.

The answer was a very firm “FYI: Ketchup. goes. in. the. Fridge!!!” but the subsequent poll revealed a near 50/50 split among consumers. Half keep their tommy sauce in the fridge, half keep it in the cupboard.

FYI: Ketchup. goes. in. the. fridge!!!

— Heinz (@HeinzUK) June 27, 2023

At the time, Heinz said that the fridge storage keeps the sauce tangy and fresh – who doesn’t want that?

“There was only ever one correct answer, and we’re happy to share with Heinz Tomato Ketchup lovers across the UK that our ketchup has to be in the fridge,” said Heinz spokesperson Olivia Lennon.

“Although we’re aware many Heinz Tomato Ketchup fans have been storing their ketchup in the cupboard, we do recommend refrigeration after opening. This is the best way to maintain the delicious tangy taste of our Heinz Tomato Ketchup that you know and love.”

However, another, far more revolting reason has recently come to light. Food safety expert Jabraan Ahmed of Saffron Alley in the UK said in a statement, “If the ketchup bottle is stored outside the fridge during summer, fruit flies might lay eggs or leave bacteria on the lid.”

Heinz Pickle Ketchup Source: HeinzKraft

Female fruit flies lay their eggs on the surface of rotting fruits, vegetables and sticky sweet substances.

Each female may lay as many as 500 eggs at one time. In the space of a week, the eggs hatch, become larvae, then fully fledged fruit flies who will go on to lay their little babies on whatever they can find AKA your tomato sauce. That’s a recipe for an infestation. The little blighters can then contaminate food by spreading bacteria and diseases they pick up.

Please, make it stop.