The full story
The cheap end of the ketchup aisle is built on three cost-cutting moves: high fructose corn syrup in place of real sugar, tomato concentrate stretched with water, and flavor-rounding additives instead of a longer cook. The bottle is cheaper because the ingredients are.
Issue 78 · 01
What you are actually buying
- HFCS as the second ingredient, sometimes the first
- Tomato concentrate at a lower percentage so water can fill the bottle
- Distilled vinegar instead of cider or wine vinegar
- "Natural flavors" doing the work that a slow cook used to do
Issue 78 · 02
What it costs you later
HFCS is associated with higher metabolic risk than real sugar at the same calorie level. See the research breakdown. Thinner tomato content means you pour more to taste anything, which raises sodium and sugar intake per serving. The cheap bottle is rarely cheap per use.
Issue 78 · 03
What 78 chooses instead
78 Original is 78 percent real tomatoes, real sugar instead of HFCS, and the kind of spice and vinegar work that produces flavor without flavor packets. It costs more per bottle. Most kitchens use less of it.
The same math holds on heat. A spicy ketchup built on real peppers and the same tomato base needs no extra pour to taste like something.
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