A bottle of ketchup can be found in 97% of the homes in the United States. And, according to NPR, half of them will be Heinz Ketchup. I assume when you think of America’s favourite condiment, you envision the colour red. But, twenty years ago, Heinz launched a limited run of green ketchup to cross-promote the release of the movie Shrek (a green ogre). Kids went crazy for the stuff. Heinz, realizing they were on to something good, quickly ramped up production of the popular green sauce. Before you could say “pass the ketchup,” Blastin’ Green was added to their lineup.
But why stop at green? Soon a rainbow of ketchup colours emerged: Stellar Blue, Passion Pink, Funky Purple, Awesome Orange and Totally Teal. Hot dogs everywhere were now being smothered with unappetizing shades of altered tomato sauce. Although it promised that “same great Heinz taste,” many people said it tasted funny – not like “real” ketchup. Moms became concerned and began voicing their dislike of the artificial colouring found in the ingredients.
The fad lasted for six years. Heinz eventually sold over 25 million bottles of their multicoloured ketchup. Due to rising awareness of better nutrition and healthier foods, people shied away from the product. Profits dropped and, in 2006, the line was discontinued. If you never got to try Blastin’ Green Ketchup, don’t despair, unopened bottles appear on eBay from time to time. Be forewarned – you will get squeezed on the price – they sell for around $300 a bottle.