Tomato Ketchup


Dish of Ketchup [Catsup; Kekap (Malay); Ketçap (Turk)]

Ketchup is held in high favor by children, because it has more sugar than ice cream - it's sort of tomato flavored candy. By federal law, if your product doesn't have that much sugar it can't be called "ketchup". When Trader Joe's sold a "no added sugar" ketchup, thay had to lable it "Ketchy".

This was a ploy by the food industry to "standardize" the product so they didn't have to reveal on the label that it was about 1/3 sugar (other ingredients are water, salt, vinegar, spices, and, yes, tomatoes). The problem: sugar is not only empty calories, it's known to be damaging to the body in many ways. Some researchers consider it to be an addictive drug, so exposing the high sugar content could have impacted ketchup sales. I suggest you keep your children away from ketchup as much as from candy and other unhealthy sugary sweets.

Back in 1981, when Ronald Reagan was president, his administration was trying to find more money to give to the rich ("tinkle down economics"). His budget director, David Stockman, proposed classifying ketchup as a vegetable to cut down the cost of vegetables in federally funded school lunch programs. The proposal leaked out and was so roundly ridiculed the administration had to withdraw it.

"Ketchup" (variously spelled), is an Asian word for sauces with a high sugar content. Originally, none were made from tomatoes, because they didn't have tomatoes, though mushrooms were a popular ingredient. Tukas brand, made in Turkey but sold here in Los Angeles, does not strictly adhere to the formula, so they spell it in Turkish, "Ketç". Of course they then have to list the ingredients: Tomato Purée, Glucose Syrup (a form of sugar), Sugar, Vinegar, Salt, Corn Starch, Spice Extracts. Note that splitting sugar into two forms is a standard industry trick used to prevent "sugar" from being the top ingredient.

More on Sauces & Condiments.


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