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Variations around tomato ketchup

22/08/2025

Sophie Colvine
THE KRAFT HEINZ COMPANY
United Kingdom,
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Many reports have shown that consumers in many countries get more adventurous and are looking to expand their condiment collections by adding bold flavours and craft sauces, indicating that they are no longer satisfied with relying only the classic sauces. For instance, in the UK, research by Ocado and Savanta cited by Food and Drink Technology showed that half of consumers (49%) describe themselves as more adventurous with sauces than they used to be. The study showed that artisanal condiments have boosted growth, with sales of independent brands up by 22% year-on-year as shoppers seek out new flavours. Consumers, and mainly the younger ones, are also looking for sustainability and locally produced and  are often influenced by social media and online food content. 

We have spotted several, more or less anecdotal or weird, innovations around the classic tomato ketchup which highlight some of these trends. 

USA: Tomato Ketchup Smoothie

The global leader in ketchup, Heinz, has teamed up with the world’s largest smoothie brand, Smoothie King, to launch the first-ever ketchup-based smoothie. The Heinz Tomato Ketchup Smoothie blends sweet Acai sorbet, crisp apple juice, juicy strawberries, and tart raspberries with Heinz Simply Ketchup, to create a “delicious and refreshing summer sip”. Launching during peak tomato harvest season, the limited-edition smoothie is available exclusively at select Smoothie King locations in the USA.

France: “Ketchup” with grape sugar

In February, the CAPL Group, launched a ketchup-style sauce, aimed at helping winegrowers get out of the crisis, as the sugar used comes only from grapes grown by wine growers who are members of the cooperative group. Grape juice and tomatoes are concentrated in the group’s Le Panier Provençal factory, the largest tomato processing plant in France, and the sauce is produced in the La Cuisine Provençale factory of the cooperative. The goal was to find an innovative solution, bringing together the various subsidiaries while helping the grape producers who suffer from declining wine sales.  What also differentiates the sauce from real ketchup is that it contains no water, no flavours, no preservatives. The recipe also makes it less caloric so it can display a Nutriscore B score, against D for that of major ketchup brands.

France: Spicy Ketch’Up 

Riding on the trend for more exotic and spicy flavours, Marcel Senchou, a small French firm has launched a range of ketchups, revisiting this great classic with three spicy recipes based on carefully selected peppers: chipotle, jalapeño and habanero. Each sauce is based on a base of French tomatoes, seasoned with a mixture of homemade spices, resulting in a product which is far from the usual sweet standards

USA : Upcycled ketchup

USA & UK based The Foraging Fox has recently won the 2025 “Upcycled Product of the Year” award with its Upcycled Certified Ketchup. This ketchup is “crafted from imperfect surplus tomatoes that would otherwise go to waste”. It is sold as a premium, clean-label, and craveable condiment. Certified Non-GMO, 100% natural, and with under 1g of added sugar per serving, the company is aiming to shake up the condiments category with its sustainability credentials, both inside and outside the bottle.

UK: 100% British tomato ketchup

Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson has launched a 100% British tomato ketchup to sell in his pub The Farmer’s Dog following complaints from customers who wanted some to accompany their 100% local meals to support the British food and farming industry. The sauce is  produced by Condimaniac, using Isle of Wight tomato passata, apple cider vinegar from Hants, Essex salt and British sugar and onions.

Ketchup flavoured chips

Ketchup flavour has been used in different types of snacks in many countries.

In Canada, the Chatelaine blog has been testing 9 different ketchup flavoured chips. 

Ketchup ice cream

Meanwhile on TikTok, following on from the Tomato Girl Summer last year, one of the trends this year is the savoury ice creams, including tomato ketchup or baked beans flavoured …

Sources: Food and Drink Technology, Heinz, Vaucluse Agricole, The Independent, Pour nourrir demain, Globe Newswire, Chatelaine