Are you storing your ketchup the wrong way?

Article By Addy Bink Published Feb. 19, 2024
Article Source: How should you store ketchup? (ktla.com)

(NEXSTAR) - If there’s anything we’ve learned from TikTok, it’s that you can find answers to just about anything on the app, like how to decipher the little symbols on your T-shirt tag or the “packing hack” to help avoid carry-on fees. As with other social media, there is, of course, poor advice you can learn from TikTok, like how much water to drink in a day or how to make a “borg.” 

And then, there are some tips you come across that make you question your own habits, but in a less harmful manner. 

Take, for example, how to store your ketchup. 

Just reading that may elicit a simple response: “What are you talking about, I store my ketchup exactly like I should.” But, as we’ve seen on TikTok, there’s some confusion about whether you should keep ketchup in the refrigerator or not. 

Some say it should most definitely be in the refrigerator among other condiments after it’s been opened. Others argue that leaving it on the counter or in a pantry is the preferred method, giving it a better flavor. After all, restaurants leave ketchup bottles on the tables all the time. And what about the ketchup packets tossed in your bag when you’re going through the drive-thru? 

Technically speaking, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to storing the catsup. 

Let’s start with the date printed on the label or lid of your ketchup. It’s usually paired with the text “Best If Used By” or “Best By,” like the one pictured below. This plays into the storage of ketchup as a whole. 

A ‘best if used by’ date printed on a bottle of ketchup. (Addy Bink/Nexstar)

When it comes to date labeling, including on ketchup bottles, it’s guidance for “how fast to consume [the] food before the quality deteriorates,” Abby Snyder, an associate professor of food science at the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, tells Nexstar. 

Quality changes could include the product separating (like when you try to get some ketchup, but a watery red liquid comes out instead) or “spoilage microbes” that could make your food taste different, Snyder explains, but it “doesn’t make the food unsafe.”

With the exception of a few products, like milk and baby formula, most products will feature a best-by date, which denotes “baseline quality,” Andy Hirneisen, a senior extension educator and leader of Penn State Extensin’s Retail and Consumer Food Safety Team, tells Nexstar.

“It doesn’t mean that the product is necessarily ‘bad’ or going to make you sick,” he adds. “It’s just that the quality is going to suffer after that.”

Hirneisen points to the FoodKeeper App, a resource from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, that gives guidance on how to store various foods, including ketchup. 

The advice for ketchup, as well as cocktail and chili sauce, is that it should be consumed within one year from the date of purchase if it has been in the pantry, or within six months after it has been opened and stored in the refrigerator. The site reminds that, when it comes to ketchup, the date labeling on the packaging is in regard to the quality of it, not the safety of it. 

It also explains that shelf-stable commercial ketchup is safe when stored at room temperature after opening. 

As Snyder notes, few condiments support the growth of microorganisms or pathogens due to their acidity, their water activity, or both. Ketchup, as well as mustard, are acidic, which can inhibit the growth of microbes. Microbes will also struggle to grow in soy sauce, which has less water available for them to use. 

Another aspect that can inhibit microbial growth? Refrigeration. 

“Most foodborne microbes grow more rapidly at warmer temperatures,” Snyder says, adding that growth could be seen in an item stored at room temperature. “However, at cold temperatures, their growth can be seriously impeded or totally stopped.”

So what does this mean for your ketchup storage? 

Ultimately, it’s going to be about how you enjoy your ketchup, and how quickly you eat it. Most manufacturers will encourage you to keep it in the refrigerator to maintain the intended flavor, but if you enjoy room-temperature ketchup, and eat it quickly enough that it doesn’t separate or form microbes, you’re safe to continue doing so. 

“So, you accidentally leave an opened bottle of ketchup out on the counter overnight. Is that a food safety risk? No. But the manufacturer might have a label on it that says ‘refrigerator after opening’ because they want to reduce the likelihood of spoilage,” Snyder says.

In case you’re wondering, Heinz previously spoke out about this, using a poll on X to call out that ketchup should go in the refrigerator. The company did say that its product is shelf-stable because of its acidity but refrigerating it can maintain product quality.

As for the other condiments in your refrigerator (or pantry), storage can vary. The USDA says barbecue sauce, for example, should be consumed within one year of purchase if it was stored in your pantry, or after four months in the fridge — where it should be stored to keep it fresher longer, like ketchup — once it has been opened. Mustard can last for one to two years after it has been purchased and for a year in the refrigerator after being opened. Mayonnaise can spend three to six months in the pantry before use, and two months in the refrigerator after being opened. You can review storage types for other condiments and food on the USDA’s website.

There is, of course, a caveat, regardless of how you store your food: If you see any mold growth in your ketchup bottle or any other food, you should discard it.