Classic ketchup: history, properties, types, facts. What is ketchup made from? What is heinz ketchup made of?

And although today on the shelves of the store its choice is huge, there is nothing tastier, healthier and better than what is done by oneself.

Home-made tomato ketchup differs many times from store-bought . Here is the indescribable aroma of real spices, amazing delicate taste and, most importantly - real quality, without the addition of various preservatives, dyes, thickeners and other additives.

Fans of fried potatoes, dumplings, spaghetti and pizza this popular sauce will be needed first. It is not at all difficult to do it, but on the contrary, it is very exciting. Not too time consuming.

If you have never tried making ketchup yourself at home before, then it's time to try it.

How to make ketchup

* We need 2.5 kg. tomatoes. The brightest flavor is obtained from tomatoes that have grown in the sun for the maximum time, and not stayed in the shade. They become sweet and fragrant because they have absorbed a lot of light.

* You will need two large apples. Absolutely any apples are suitable, but it is better if sweet and sour taste prevails.

* three medium bulbs,

* two and a half cups of sugar,

* half a tablespoon of salt,

* allspice black pepper (a few pieces),

* a tablespoon of vinegar 9%.

* carnation 5 inflorescences

* ground pepper

* cinnamon stick

See also: 10 most delicious barbecue sauces that are easy to make yourself

ketchup recipe

Making homemade ketchup with apples (Real Hines to taste)

1. Any tomato will do for homemade sauce. , but if the ketchup will be stored for a long time, then it is advisable to take selected tomatoes, without cracks and dents. Then ketchup will be better stored. Slice the tomatoes and put in a bowl.

2. Let's get to the apples. It is enough to rinse them thoroughly and remove the stalk, the skin is not peeled off and remains in place. Cut into small cubes and send to the pan with tomatoes. We send chopped onion there.

3. Put on the stove and cook until boiling. After that, boil on low heat for about 40 minutes. Don't forget to stir from time to time. The mass should thicken, since the liquid will boil away during this time, the onion and apple skins will become soft.

4. We remove our pan from the stove, and armed with a blender, we begin to actively break through the mass.

5. After our contents have turned into porridge, we will use a sieve in order to make the mass homogeneous and airy. After this action, our ketchup will look exactly the same as in the store, only its taste will be many times better.

6. We put our pan back on the stove and add sugar, salt and ground black pepper.

7. Now we need to add spices to the mass . So that they do not come across later in the finished ketchup, they need to be wrapped in gauze, making a small bag, and lowered into the pan.

8. Now turn on the slow mode on the stove and boil our mass for 40 minutes , stirring constantly, as due to the presence of sugar, it can burn.

9. Five minutes before the end, add vinegar.

10. We remove the control sample. We check how much we like our creation. If everything is in order and the taste of ketchup, cooked at home, inimitable, then you can roll it up.

Small jars or bottles are suitable for this. They just need to rinse thoroughly with soda, then sterilize. Do not forget to process the covers as well.

11. Turn the finished hot container upside down and cover with a warm blanket until it cools completely.

Ketchup made at home is absolutely safe, even small children can eat it. So cook, experiment and surprise your loved ones.

(from English ketchup- sauce)- this is one of the most beloved sauces by all, both in our country and abroad.

However, in Russia it has become relevant relatively recently, which leads to an insufficient level of developments of Russian industrialists in the production of ketchup.

Until now, the products of foreign manufacturers (for example, Heinz ketchups) are the most popular, surpassing domestic ones in terms of taste characteristics.

In the official sense (according to Russian GOSTs), ketchups include sauces that are based on tomato products with additives in the form of salt, sugar, spices, seasonings, thickeners, sweeteners, dyes, flavorings, preservatives and are used as sauces for various dishes.

Types of ketchups:

Sterilized, incl. method of hot filling into hermetically sealed containers (canned food);

Unsterilized (with preservative). The recipe variety of ketchups is very large.

Ketchups are spicy, sweet, barbecue, French, Macedonian, plum, apple, with horseradish, etc.

1. "Extra"- made from fresh tomatoes or tomato paste or puree with the addition of spices and flavoring ingredients. The mass fraction of soluble solids introduced with tomato products is not less than 12% (with the mass fraction of soluble solids in ketchup being not less than 25%).

2. highest category- are made from fresh tomatoes or tomato paste or puree, fruit and vegetable purees, thickeners, stabilizers, spices, with the addition of natural and identical to natural flavors, dyes, flavoring ingredients.

Mass fraction of soluble solids introduced with tomato products in ketchup of the highest category, made:

Without the addition of fruit and vegetable purees - at least 9% (with a mass fraction of soluble solids in ketchup - at least 23%);

With the addition of fruit and vegetable purees - not less than 7% (with a mass fraction of soluble solids in ketchup - not less than 20%).

3.first category- are made from concentrated tomato products, fruit and vegetable purees, spices or natural and nature identical flavors, colors, thickeners, stabilizers and flavoring ingredients. The mass fraction of soluble solids introduced with tomato products is not less than 6% (with the mass fraction of soluble solids in ketchup being not less than 18%).

4.second category- are made from concentrated tomato products, fruit and vegetable purees, spices or natural and nature identical flavors, thickeners, stabilizers, colorants and flavoring ingredients. The mass fraction of soluble solids introduced with tomato products is not less than 4.5% (with the mass fraction of soluble solids in ketchup being not less than 14%).

Ketchup production technology:

Tomatoes are processed into tomato paste (or tomato paste - the raw material), spices are added, boiled, gradually adding a sugar-salt solution to the required volume of solids content in the product according to the requirements of the categories. 3 - 4 minutes before the end of cooking, acetic acid is added (taking into account the natural acidity of tomato products) with spices (preferably in the form of an acetic extract of spices). Then the product is poured into containers, sterilized or preservatives are added, cooled.

Flour, starch, and gum can be added as thickeners to ketchup.

Clove, cinnamon, onion, black and red pepper, paprika, mustard are used as spices.

For those who are going to start the production of ketchups, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the technical conditions GOST R 52141-2003

Here is an extract from the document.

5. GENERAL TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

…

5.2.1. According to organoleptic indicators, ketchups must meet the requirements specified in Table 1.

Table 1

5.2.2. According to the physical and chemical indicators, ketchups must comply with the standards specified in Table 2.

table 2

5.2.3. Mass fractions of soluble solids, titratable acids, chlorides, mineral impurities are set in the technical documents of enterprises for specific types of ketchup.

5.2.4. The content of toxic elements, patulin mycotoxin, nitrates, pesticides, radionuclides in ketchups must not exceed the permissible levels established by other pesticides actually used in the production of tomatoes and other raw materials, -.

5.2.5. According to microbiological indicators, ketchups must correspond to:

Sterilized (canned food) - industrial sterility requirements for group B canned food in accordance with (index 1.6.5.3, Appendix 8);

Unsterilized - requirements (index 1.6.5.9).

5.3. Raw material requirements

For the manufacture of ketchups, the following raw materials and materials are used:

fresh tomatoes;

Concentrated tomato products according to GOST 3343;

Tomato products with sodium benzoate according to the technical document;

Fresh onion according to GOST 1723;

Dried onion according to GOST 7587;

Dried vegetables according to a normative or technical document;

Hot pepper puree according to the technical document;

Fresh sweet pepper according to GOST 13908;

Dried sweet pepper according to the technical document;

Quick-frozen pepper according to the technical document;

Capsicum fruits according to GOST 14260;

Fresh hot peppers according to the normative or technical document;

Canned capers according to the technical document;

Salted olives, canned according to the technical document;

Mushrooms, salted, marinated according to a regulatory or technical document;

Dried mushrooms according to the technical document;

Greens of spicy plants fresh, quick-frozen, dried according to the normative or technical document;

Greens (dill, parsley, celery), preserved with table salt;

Salted vegetables, marinated according to a normative or technical document;

Fresh garlic according to GOST 7977;

Dried garlic according to GOST 16729;

Fruit puree, preserved with sorbic acid, according to the technical document;

Semi-finished fruit puree according to OST 10-33;

Semi-finished fruit and vegetable products for industrial use according to the technical document;

Sunflower oil refined according to GOST 1129;

Corn oil according to GOST 8808;

Soybean oil according to GOST 7825;

Acetic acid according to GOST 61;

Acetic wood chemical food acid according to GOST 6968;

Table vinegar 6 - 9% according to the technical document;

Vinegar natural according to the normative or technical document;

Spices and their mixtures according to a normative or technical document;

Sorbic acid according to the technical document;

Potassium sorbate according to the technical document;

Sodium benzoate according to the technical document;

Essential oils of spicy plants, garlic according to the technical document;

Extracts of spice plants, garlic (including CO 2) according to the technical document;

Edible table salt according to GOST R 51574 not lower than the first grade;

Sugar-sand according to GOST 21;

Mustard powder according to the technical document;

Sweeteners and sweeteners approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner;

Starch modified according to a regulatory or technical document and other thickeners approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner;

Consistency stabilizers approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner;

Food dyes approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner;

Food flavorings approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner;

Drinking water, not containing 100 cubic meters. see mesophilic clostridia spores.

Allowed use:

For the manufacture of ketchups of the highest, first and second category of ketchup-semi-finished product, prepared for future use, according to a technical document;

Other types of domestic raw materials approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner;

Imported raw materials, in terms of quality not inferior to domestically produced raw materials and approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner.

Raw materials used for the manufacture of ketchup, in terms of safety, must comply with the requirements and.

5.4. Package

5.4.1. Ketchups are packaged in consumer containers with a capacity of not more than 1.0 cubic meters. dm and packed in a shipping container.

Consumer and transport packaging, closures must be approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner.

Paint coatings of the inner surface of metal cans and lids must comply with the requirements established and must be made from materials approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner.

It is allowed under the terms of the contract to pack ketchups in large containers with a capacity of not more than 10.0 cubic meters. dm.

Consumer and transport containers for packing and packing ketchups (recommended) are given in Appendix B.

It is allowed to use imported containers approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner.

5.4.2. The net weight of one packaging unit must correspond to the nominal weight indicated in the labeling of consumer packaging, taking into account the allowable deviations.

Limits of permissible negative deviations of the net weight of the packaging unit from the nominal weight - according to GOST R 8.579.

5.5. Marking

5.5.1. Marking of consumer packaging - according to GOST 13799.

5.5.1.1. The label or directly on the consumer container must indicate:

Name of ketchup;

Name and location of the manufacturer (legal address, including the country and, if not the same as the legal address, the address of the enterprise) and the organization in the Russian Federation authorized by the manufacturer to accept claims from consumers on its territory (if any); the name of the manufacturer and exporter may be written in a foreign language;

Trademark of the manufacturer (if any);

Net weight;

The composition of ketchup;

The nutritional value;

Date of manufacture and date of packaging; if the packer is the manufacturer, then the date of manufacture and packaging is indicated by the words: "manufactured and packed ... (date)"; the date of manufacture and the date of packaging are applied in the form of two-digit numbers indicating the day, month and year, or marks against the numbers on the edges of the label, or give a reference where it is indicated;

Expiration date (calculated from the date of manufacture and indicated as follows: "Best before ... (month and year)", "Use (use) before ... (month and year)"). The expiration date continues until the first day of the specified month. It is allowed to put down the day, month and year, while the expiration date continues until the day indicated on the label (consumer packaging);

Storage conditions;

The inscription: "After opening, store in the refrigerator";

The designation of this standard or specifications;

Certification information.

5.5.1.2. It is allowed to use a fantasy or commercial name for ketchup, for example "Gourmet".

In the immediate vicinity of the name of ketchup, its category is indicated.

5.5.1.3. Information may be placed in one or more places convenient for reading.

5.5.1.4. Information may be printed in any manner and must be legible and legible.

5.5.1.5. The product may be accompanied by other information, including advertising, characterizing the product, the manufacturer and the consumer, and a bar code may also be applied.

5.5.1.6. The text and inscriptions are applied in Russian. They can be duplicated in foreign languages.

5.5.1.7. On the label or directly on the packaging of consumer packaging, it is not allowed to apply the image of components that are not used to make ketchup.

5.5.2. Transport marking of containers - according to GOST 13799 and GOST 14192.

6. ACCEPTANCE RULES

6.1. Acceptance rules - according to GOST 26313.

6.2. The quality of ketchups in terms of organoleptic and physico-chemical parameters, the net weight of a consumer packaging unit, the quality of packaging and labeling are checked in each batch.

In disputable cases, when assessing organoleptic indicators, the presence of dyes and the identification of flavors indicated on consumer packaging are checked by approved methods.

6.3. The frequency of monitoring the content of toxic elements, patulin mycotoxin, nitrates, pesticides, radionuclides and microbiological indicators of unsterilizable ketchups is established by the manufacturer in the production control program approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner.

Microbiological quality control of a batch of sterilized ketchups (canned food) is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the instructions on the procedure for sanitary and technical control of canned food at manufacturing enterprises, wholesale depots, retail trade and catering establishments.

7. CONTROL METHODS

7.1. Sampling - according to GOST 26313, sample preparation for determining organoleptic and physico-chemical parameters - GOST 26671, mineralization of samples for determining toxic elements - GOST 26929, methods of analysis - GOST 8756.1, GOST 8756.18 and specified in 5.2.2, sampling and sample preparation for determination of radionuclides - .

7.2. Determination of the net weight of a consumer packaging unit - according to GOST 8756.1.

7.3. Determination of toxic elements - according to GOST 26927, GOST 26930, GOST 26932, GOST 26933, GOST 26935, GOST 30178, GOST 30538, GOST R 51301, GOST R 51766, GOST R 51962, patulin mycotoxin - GOST 28038, nitrates - GOST 29270, pesticides - GOST 30349, GOST 30710, other pesticides - , radionuclides - , , .

7.4. Sampling methods for microbiological analyzes - according to GOST 26668, sample preparation - GOST 26669, cultivation of microorganisms and processing of results - GOST 26670.

7.5. Determination of industrial sterility of canned food - according to GOST 30425.

Determination of microbiological indicators of unsterilized ketchups - according to GOST 10444.1, GOST 10444.12, GOST 10444.15, GOST 29185, GOST R 50474, GOST R 50480.

8. TRANSPORT AND STORAGE

8.1. Transportation rules and storage conditions - according to GOST 13799.

Ketchups are stored at a temperature from 0 °С to 25 °С and relative air humidity not more than 75%.

Annex A

(reference)

OKP CODES "Extra"

91 6213

Highest, first and second

91 6240

Annex B

CONSUMER AND SHIPPING PACKAGING

FOR PACKAGING AND PACKAGING KETCHUP

B.1. Ketchups are packaged in:

Glass jars of types I and III in accordance with GOST 5717 and other regulatory or technical documents with a capacity of not more than 1.0 cubic meters. dm;

Type III glass bottles in accordance with GOST 10117.2,, other regulatory or technical document with a capacity of not more than 1.0 cubic meters. dm;

Metal cans in accordance with GOST 5981 and other regulatory or technical documents with a capacity of not more than 1.0 cubic meters. dm;

Containers made of polymeric and combined materials according to a regulatory or technical document with a capacity of not more than 10.0 cubic meters. dm;

Semi-rigid containers made of polymeric or combined materials, including those based on aluminum foil, approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner for use in the food industry.

It is allowed to use imported containers with technical characteristics not lower than those specified in the above regulatory documents, authorized by the authorized body in the prescribed manner for use in the food industry.

B.2. Type I glass jars are sealed with metal lacquered lids for industrial use according to; glass jars, type III bottles - with lids for sterilized products in accordance with GOST 25749, and other regulatory or technical documents or imported ones with technical characteristics not lower than GOST 25749.

B.3. Ketchups in consumer containers are packed in transport containers, provided for by GOST 13799.

It is allowed to pack ketchups in other shipping containers approved by the authorized body in the prescribed manner.

Annex B

Shelf life of ketchups from the date of manufacture:

Sterilized:

In glass containers - 2 years,

In a metal container - 1 year;

Sterilized by hot filling - 1 year;

Unsterilized:

In glass containers - 1 year,

In a metal container - 1 year,

In a container made of polymeric and combined materials - 6 months.

Tomato paste is the basis of ketchup. These days, Heinz ketchup production actually starts with seeds. Heinz Seed provides farmers with about six billion traditionally bred tomato seeds each year, and we only make ketchup from what these farmers grow. Ketchup requires fruits with very meaty flesh and low moisture content, which provides the necessary thickness without the addition of starch and other thickeners. In most cases, we work with family-owned businesses who have been growing tomatoes for us for decades. For Russian production and for other plants located in Europe, tomatoes are grown in Spain and Portugal. So far, we do not have an established scheme for growing tomatoes with Russian agricultural enterprises.

The fruits are processed by our partners, global tomato paste companies. I'm afraid that their names will not say anything to ordinary consumers. Boiling tomatoes and evaporating excess moisture, they get a paste. It is packed in aseptic, fully sealed containers, and in this form it can be easily transported and stored without degrading the quality of the product and without adding preservatives.

All pasta is selected to meet our standards. We control one and a half dozen parameters that are spelled out in the specification: color, taste, dry matter content, microbiological parameters, heavy metal content, and so on. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose specific parameters - they are a trade secret.

spice extracts

Extracts are obtained from spicy herbs, hot peppers and vegetables grown in ecologically clean places using the extraction method (as well as natural perfumes). For ketchup, we use extracts of spices and vegetables, because the weather conditions, the place where they are grown, and the time they were harvested greatly affect the taste. It is almost impossible to achieve a stable taste of ketchup in each batch using natural spices: each of their crops is unique. In addition, extracts are safer in terms of such parameters as heavy metals, radionuclides, and microbiology. There is still, for example, the risk that the spices have been processed with a prohibited dye of the Sudan group (it can be used to process paprika and hot red pepper). Which extracts we use is a secret. We disclose only one ingredient, celery, because it is an allergen.

Salt and sugar

Salt and sugar are the ingredients that provide ketchup with the necessary flavor balance. They also, in combination with vinegar, naturally preserve the product - as in home preparations. We use ordinary edible table salt of the "Extra" category and ordinary granulated sugar.

Vinegar

Vinegar is responsible for the taste balance and for such an important indicator as the pH level necessary for the resistance of the product to bacteria. In the production of ketchup, we use only vinegar obtained from natural raw materials by natural fermentation.

Water

Water is used to dilute the tomato paste to the desired consistency. We use water that has gone through a multi-stage purification system.

How ketchup is made

The ketchup production cycle is a closed, sealed automated system. It allows you to produce up to 100 kg of ketchup per minute. After checking to our standards, all ingredients are loaded into a mixing vessel. After mixing, the product is examined in the laboratory. It must confirm its compliance with the specification: solids content, pH, and so on. (In all, there are about 75 different checks in total from the end of the harvest to the time the ketchup is in the bottle.)

Then the ketchup goes through the pasteurization stage, after which it is fed into the homogenizer - an apparatus that grinds all the ketchup components, ensuring uniformity and thick texture. The next step is to quickly cool the ketchup. It, together with pasteurization, is one of the factors that ensures the stability of the product during storage.

Our ketchup in different packages - glass and plastic - is the same: it is made according to the same recipe and on the same technological equipment. But they have different expiration dates, which depend on the barrier properties of the packaging. In glass, they are wonderful, and the shelf life in it is longer. But now glass packaging is becoming less popular among consumers: it is heavier and less convenient to use than plastic bottles and doy-packs (plastic bags). But in them, the shelf life of the product is somewhat lower.

"Baltimore tomato"

Galina Fedorova, R&D Technologist, Unilever:

“The birthplace of ketchup is China. Previously, there were no tomatoes in it, the basis of the sauce was mushrooms, crushed anchovies and nuts, sometimes beans and garlic were added to it, and wine was usually the basis. Once in England, ketchup hit the spot and quickly spread throughout Europe.

In England, the sauce was called catchup or ketchup. The seasoning was to the taste of the inhabitants of Europe and quickly spread across the continent. The United States is considered the birthplace of modern tomato-based ketchup. The Americans have significantly improved the Asian and European technologies for making the sauce.

The Baltimore brand appeared in St. Petersburg in 1995. The name is connected with the geographical position of the city: it stands on the Baltic Sea.

tomato paste

The main component of ketchup. Made from fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a substance that is responsible for the rich red color, and is also a strong antioxidant that significantly reduces the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Scientific studies have found that when tomatoes are heated for 15 minutes, the content of lycopene increases by one and a half times compared to raw fruits. We use tomato paste from European manufacturers. It is made from tomatoes grown in accordance with Unilever's sustainability and quality of life plan. This program allows to increase the level of social responsibility of suppliers, as well as reduce the impact on the environment by increasing soil fertility and reducing water consumption for irrigation through the introduction of an innovative irrigation system.

Water

Water determines the consistency of ketchup, affects the appearance, taste and stability of the product during storage. We use water that has passed a three-stage purification system.

Glucose fructose syrup

The component that gives the product a sweet taste. The syrup is made on the basis of natural grain raw materials (wheat) and differs from ordinary sugar both in the level of sweetness (syrup is 1.4 times less sweet than sugar) and in the carbohydrate composition - the ratio of monosaccharides in the syrup is almost the same as in bee honey ( 58–56% glucose and 42–44% fructose).

Sweetener saccharin (sodium salt)

Saccharin is much sweeter than sugar, which allows it to be used in smaller quantities than sugar. In addition, the product becomes less caloric. Saccharin has no nutritional properties, is not absorbed by the body and is excreted from it unchanged. A product containing this supplement can be consumed by people with diabetes. Saccharin has sodium, potassium and calcium salts. We use sodium saccharin.

table vinegar

Vinegar with 9% acetic acid concentration. It is used both to give the ketchup an appropriate taste and for the microbiological stability of the product: the use of vinegar is one of the oldest methods of preservation. The action of vinegar is based on lowering the pH of the product and is directed mainly against bacteria.

E1442 (hydroxypropylated distarch phosphate)

This is the nomenclature name for one of the types of modified starch. There is a misconception that modified starch is obtained from genetically modified raw materials. It is actually a common food starch that has been modified by special (non-DNA-editing) processing to give it special properties, such as thermal and mechanical resistance. E1442 is a thickener. It is used to give the product the right consistency: without it, ketchup would look like tomato juice.

slices of tomatoes

Used to give ketchup a more pronounced tomato flavor. Ketchup "Baltimore Tomato" is the only ketchup with tomato pieces on the Russian market.

Salt

Salt is another ancient preservative. In addition, it gives the product a richer taste. It is very important not to oversalt ketchup, otherwise the salt will kill the taste of all other ingredients. Excessive content of this product is harmful to health, so we are guided by the WHO recommendations for daily salt intake, which is a maximum of 5 grams per day.

Black pepper

It is used as a spicy-flavoring ingredient: it adds piquancy to the product.

Mass fraction of soluble solids not less than 18%

This is a qualitative indicator, on the basis of which - also taking into account the mass fraction of soluble solids introduced with tomato products - ketchups are divided into categories. The higher the share, the higher the ketchup category. The value “At least 18%” corresponds to the first category, that is, this is a fairly high indicator.

Glass container or plastic

"Baltimore Tomato" is packaged in glass bottles (530 grams) and soft doypacks (330 grams). Glass is the optimal type of packaging that allows the buyer to immediately evaluate the appearance and quality of the product and keeps the product for the longest possible period of time. But it also has disadvantages: a lot of weight and fragility. Therefore, we also use an alternative type of packaging - doy-pack - from a multilayer metallized film. Doypack not only simplifies logistics, but also reduces the use of plastic to a minimum.”

History reference

China is considered to be the ancestral home of ketchup. In Europe, this type of sauce appeared in the 17th century and was delivered to England by sea. Soon the recipe for ketchup spread throughout the continent, while tomatoes were not originally included in it. It consisted of fish pickle (or shellfish), wine, anchovies, mushrooms, beans, walnuts, garlic and spices.

The beginning of the industrial production of ketchup in its modern form dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, when American industrialists, including the Heinz family business, began to produce sauce with a thick consistency by vacuum evaporation of tomato paste without heating and the use of sodium benzoate preservative. Ketchup produced in this way has a long shelf life at room temperature.

Since then, in ketchup, its density has been especially appreciated: the more tomato paste in the composition of the sauce, the better it is. However, today, to achieve these properties, manufacturers often resort to using a cheaper thickener, such as starch or pectin, which entails the introduction of stabilizers, dyes and flavors.

Benefit and harm

Ripe tomatoes, which are the basis of any ketchup, contain vitamins C, B, vitamins P, PP, K, natural organic acids (malic, citric, oxalic), sucrose, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, fructose, pectin, iron salts, magnesium , potassium, calcium and phosphorus. At the same time, part of the useful substances is destroyed during pasteurization of the product.

Ketchup packaging - choose glass or plastic?

Plastic bottle allows you to conveniently dose the sauce and squeeze it completely out of the package. Such a container is lightweight, not afraid of falling and is made not only from matte red plastic, but also from transparent material. To store the product in this package for more than six months, alas, preservatives are used. The net weight of the sauce in plastic is 400-900 grams, and its minimum cost is from 30 rubles.

Ketchup expiration date

How to choose?

In stores you can find several dozen types of ketchup: in glass and plastic bottles, soft packaging and even in pots. We decided to find out if modern ketchups can be considered natural, and sent 5 types of ketchup for examination to the Rostest-Moscow Testing Center for Food and Food Raw Materials in order to understand what they are actually made of.

Specialists checked whether the samples correspond to their category according to GOST R 52141‑2003 “Ketchups. General technical conditions".

The quality of ketchup, along with other indicators, is determined by the mass fraction of solids - this indicator makes it clear how many tomatoes and other permitted fruit and vegetable raw materials the manufacturer put in. According to this indicator, all samples correspond to the category declared on the label: we tested three sauces of the first category, one of the highest category and one sauce (“Heinz”) produced abroad - the category is not established there.

Only two samples were made in accordance with GOST - ketchups "My family" and "Chili" from "Maheev", the rest were prepared according to technical specifications (TU). However, for the consumer, this is unimportant, since the Russian GOST, in almost the same way as the TU, allows adding thickeners, flavorings, and preservatives to ketchup. While, for example, in European countries and even in Ukraine, they are very strict about the composition of this sauce and tomato products in general. There, no dyes, flavors, etc. can be added to ketchup - only water, salt, tomatoes and spices.

In Russia, everything is much simpler for manufacturers: only in the category of “Extra” ketchups can only be used tomato puree without the addition of any others, and there should also be no thickeners and flavorings. In all other types of this product, nothing is mixed! By the way, such a miracle as "Extra" cannot be found on store shelves - it is made only in expensive restaurants by skilled chefs.

According to the content of tomato products, ketchups of the highest category are in the lead, there are slightly less of them in sauces of the first category, and even less - in the second. “Pay attention to the composition declared on the package,” says Roman GAYDASHOV, an expert from the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights “Public Control”. - For example, starch and gum are used as a thickener for sauces, this is allowed by GOST. But if there is starch, then the manufacturer put less tomato paste. Instead of sugar, the manufacturer often puts cheaper sweeteners. In general, the less various artificial additives in the composition of the sauce, the better.

No preservatives?

All our samples did not cause complaints from experts about taste, smell and appearance. We also tested them for salt content (indicator "mass fraction of chlorides") and acidity - these indicators are reflected in the taste of ketchup. Everywhere they do not exceed the norm.

Specialists examined the sauce for the presence of the dangerous toxic substance patulin, which can form during storage. By the way, no danger was found.

Unfortunately, all ketchups contain preservatives. This is understandable: if they were not there, it is unlikely that the sauce could be stored for at least a year. But the Western manufacturer of ketchup "Heinz" did not indicate the presence of preservatives in the composition and deceived. Experts found them in the composition - these are benzoic and sorbic acids. The indicator of their total mass fraction was 0.08% at a rate of not more than 0.1%.

So if you want to treat yourself to a natural product, save money for a restaurant or make your own sauces.