(Newer)
– It’s not that bad in the grand scheme of a pandemic. Still, the Wall Street Journal reports of an unexpected hiccup related to COVID – a shortage of ketchup. The problem is most pronounced for restaurants looking for supplies, especially ketchup packets, which are considered safer than shared bottles. “Everyone is looking for ketchup,” said Long John Silver’s chief marketing officer logThe chain estimates that it has recently spent an additional $ 500,000 on ketchup because those single-use packs are more expensive than buying in bulk. The behemoth Heinz, which controls about 70% of the US ketchup market, is “busy doing everything we can,” said exec Steve Cornell. That includes extra shifts at production locations.
The story notes that retail ketchup sales are up 15% in 2020, likely because more people were cooking at home. A post at Mashed questions why Heinz still appears to be in scramble mode when reports surfaced months ago, including this one at CNN, that sales were soaring. In fact, Heinz can pay a price: The Texas Roadhouse chain operated Heinz exclusively before the pandemic, but was forced to supplement with easier-to-find brands from wholesalers like Costco. “You can’t be forever loyal,” said a company spokesperson. A chef in the log Story sees a potential silver lining to all of this: The shortage could prompt people to forgo ketchup. “We want people to experience the burgers in their natural state,” said Mike DeCamp, who has five dining options in Minneapolis. (Read more stories about ketchup.)