Heinz ketchup comes last with grade 6 in Öko-Test

Because of mold poison
Grade 6: market leader Heinz ketchup comes last in Öko-Test

Ketchup swatter from Öko-Test: The classic brand from “Heinz” was completely wiped out in the comparison test. This was mainly due to mold toxins in the bottle.

In the big ketchup test, Öko-Test issued a devastating testimony to Heinz’s classic. “Heinz Tomato Ketchup” from the US group Kraft Heinz was the only one of 20 products tested to receive the overall rating “insufficient”. Another test candidate (“Hellmann’s”) was “poor”, the rest received grades between “very good” and “sufficient”.

Market leader Heinz’s ketchup has “a significant problem with mold toxins,” writes Eco test. In the laboratory, for example, considerable exposure to alternariol (AOH) was found, which is considered potentially harmful. Alternaria toxin can get into ketchup when manufacturers use overripe or moldy tomatoes.

According to Öko-Test, Heinz has exceeded the EU guideline value for alternariol in processed tomato products almost fivefold. The laboratory also detected mold toxins in other test products, but in much smaller quantities. According to its own statements, Öko-Test informed Heinz of the problematic laboratory results, but received no answer.

Heinz ketchup is the biggest sugar bomb

Mold toxins weren’t the only problem the eco-testers had with the Heinz ketchup. The branded product from the food giant also contained the highest sugar content of all test candidates: 25.3 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters make Heinz ketchup the biggest sugar bomb in the ketchup comparison. Other manufacturers have at least reduced the sugar content a little recently.

In addition, Kraft Heinz was the only manufacturer to give Öko-Test no information about the origin and supply chain of the tomatoes used. This is relevant insofar as the environmental and working conditions are not the best for many tomato producers. One of the main growing areas is the Chinese province of Xinjiang, where the Uyghur ethnic group is systematically held in labor camps.

But there were also a number of good ketchups and two very good ones in the test. Among the organic brands, the tomato ketchup from Zwergenwiese came out on top. The ingredients were very good and the pollution was harmless. Even the sugar content has been reduced from 27 to 19 grams per 100 milliliters compared to the last study in 2020. Overall rating: very good. In the case of conventional tomato ketchups, Penny’s discounter product also scored very well.

The entire ketchup test is available online at Eco test