Healthy Eating Guidelines say to limit your consumption of processed foods. However, tomato concentrates or other processed tomato products, paradoxically, have more lycopene than fresh tomatoes. AND lycopene is a compound that supports the prevention of various types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Therefore, the consumption of tomato juices or purees is the most beneficial for your health. Exception proves the rule.
In order to try to evaluate ketchups available on the market, first it is worth finding out what the “natural” ketchup should contain. Recipe classic ketchup is as follows:
- Tomato concentrate
- Sugar
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Allspice
- Cloves
- Onion
- Other natural spices
Producers also add other ingredients to ketchups. Thus, the production of such a product significantly reduces its price. These can be, among others: dyes, glucose-fructose syrup, sodium benzoate, acetylated distarch adipate or modified starch. Which ketchup has the most tomatoes and the least unnecessary additives for the body, let’s find out on the basis of the label analysis below.
I chose for analysis 9 ketchupswhich can be found most often in our stores. As it turns out, producers are starting to target their offer also for children. Only in two ketchups I did not find any unnecessary additives (not counting the aromas). It is a ketchup for children Pudliszki i ketchup Heinz.
I divided the ingredients in individual ketchups into 2 conventional groups:
- CLASSIC ingredients, i.e. those that are desired in this product
- And ADDITIONAL ingredients, i.e. those whose presence is not essential
See below for the composition of individual ketchups:
I. Without thickeners, preservatives, regulators:
PUDLISZKI: Ketchup for children
Ingredients (classic): tomatoes (184 g in 100 g of ketchup), sugar, vinegar, salt
Ingredients (additional): natural flavors
HEINZ Ketchup
Ingredients (classic): tomatoes (132 g in 100 g of the product), sugar, vinegar, salt, extracts of spices and herbs
Ingredients (additional): none
MY ECOLIFE Organic ketchup
Ingredients (classic): tomato paste (227 g tomatoes in 100 g ketchup), sugar, sea salt, wine vinegar, spices
Ingredients (additional): acidity regulator: citric acid
II. With the addition of thickeners
PUDLISZKI Ketchup spicy super spicy
Ingredients (classic): tomatoes (193 g in 100 g of ketchup), sugar, vinegar, salt, spices
Ingredients (additional): modified starch, flavors
HELLMANN’S Ketchup
Ingredients (classic): tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, salt, onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, black pepper, bay leaf, cloves
Ingredients (additional): water, modified starch
III. With the addition of, among others: thickeners, dyes, regulators, sweeteners other than sugar
KOTLIN Spicy ketchup
Ingredients (classic): tomatoes (120 g in 100 g of ketchup), sugar, salt,
Ingredients (additional): thickener: acetylated distarch adipate, water, acidity regulator: acetic acid, natural flavor, preservative: sodium benzoate
THURSDAY Ketchup pikantny
Ingredients (classic): tomatoes (106 g in 100 g of ketchup), sugar, vinegar, salt, spices, onion
Ingredients (additional): modified starch, black carrot juice concentrate (natural dye), flavors
DEVELEY Ketchup McDonald’s Tomato
Ingredients (classic): tomato paste 73%, vinegar, salt, spice extracts
Ingredients (additional): glucose-fructose syrup (instead of sugar)
TORTEX Ketchup
Ingredients (classic): tomato paste 37%, sugar, vinegar, salt, spices: black pepper, coriander, thyme, savory, oregano
Ingredients (additional): water, modified starch, acidity regulator: citric acid, preservative: sodium benzoate, flavor
Which ketchup should I choose?
Head on 2 rules when choosing a ketchup that is good for you. Choose the one that has:
- Most tomatoes
- And the least amount of additional ingredients (thickeners, flavors, dyes, regulators etc.)
You can always do too ketchup by yourself. For this you will need homemade tomato puree, celery, onion, apple juice puree, you can also take paprika. Sugar, salt, garlic and herbs are added to taste, e.g. oregano, bay leaves, cloves, black pepper, and if you like spicy ketchup, then Cayenne pepper. You stew everything until the water evaporates.
Pour the hot sauce into jars or bottles of vegetable juices, turn the lid on and for a moment more into the boiling water, so that the jars close. This way, you get homemade ketchup without any unnecessary additives. You decidewhat kind of ketchup you want to add to your dishes.
Diet with the support of a dietitian and psychologist: Give it a try