Ketchup began far from the modern tomato bottle. Popular Science traces its roots to fermented fish sauces made in ancient China, later adapted in Europe with ingredients such as mushrooms, walnuts and anchovies.
Tomatoes entered ketchup recipes in the 18th and 19th centuries, after doctors and promoters claimed tomatoes could help with indigestion and diarrhea. John Cook Bennett even urged people to eat tomatoes raw, cooked or in catsup.
Some sellers marketed “tomato pills†as a cure-all, but later investigations found that some contained little or no tomato. As food bottling improved, H.J. Heinz helped turn tomato catsup into a consistent commercial product.
The medical claims faded, while food-safety standards, mass production and fast-food culture made ketchup a staple. The history is a reminder that early food marketing often mixed nutrition, medicine and promotion.
Source: Popular Science, Aug. 22, 2025.
