The History of Ketchup

•200 A.D.

China – The original kê-tsiap is a fermented fish sauce made from anchovies, soybeans, and spices.

No tomatoes, sugar, or vinegar—just savory umami flavor.

•1700s

Britain – Ketchup evolves into fish-free versions made with mushrooms, walnuts, and oysters.

Still no tomatoes. Popular as a savory, shelf-stable sauce.

•1812

United States – Philadelphia scientist James Mease creates the first tomato-based ketchup using ripe tomatoes and spices.

No vinegar or sugar yet—still closer to a homemade sauce.

•1830s

USA – Recipes adapt to include vinegar and sugar for flavor and preservation.

Ketchup becomes sweeter, tangier, and more shelf-stable.

•1800s

Industrialization – Commercial ketchup makers start adding chemical preservatives, especially sodium benzoate, to extend shelf life.

This sparked early concerns about food safety and purity.

•1876

Heinz Changes the Game – Henry J. Heinz launches a ketchup made with no chemical preservatives, relying on vinegar, sugar, and fresh tomatoes.

Marketed as pure, safe, and superior—setting the gold standard.

•1970s

Sweetener Shift – Manufacturers begin replacing cane sugar with high fructose corn syrup to cut costs and increase shelf life.

Most major brands make the switch quietly.

•1983

Plastic Packaging Debuts – Heinz introduces the first squeezable plastic bottle, making ketchup more convenient to add microplastics into your diet!

A major packaging shift from traditional glass bottles.

2023

A Gut Feeling LLC Brings It Back to the Roots – Natalie Clark revives ketchup’s ancestral tradition with a nourishing, fermented ketchup made from real, whole ingredients.

No corn syrup, no preservatives—just probiotic-rich, gut-loving ingredients the way ketchup was meant to be.

Glass bottles are reintroduced to honor heritage and eliminate microplastic exposure, reinforcing a commitment to health and sustainability.