Do you really have to refrigerate ketchup?

[mandala]

They have not been sterilized. They have been processed in order to reduce microbial load and growth.

Anything that has been irradiated, pasteurized, or boiled before or at the canning/bottling stage has been, in effect, sterilized (any bacteria in it would be killed), hasn't it?

 

[Pliablemoose]

Consumer Reports actually tested ketchup & found out it doesn't need to be refrigerated, something about so much sugar & salt in it that it was relatively immune to bacerial growth.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: mandala

They have not been sterilized. They have been processed in order to reduce microbial load and growth.

Anything that has been irradiated, pasteurized, or boiled before or at the canning/bottling stage has been, in effect, sterilized (any bacteria in it would be killed), hasn't it?

Food products reach what is known as Commercial Sterility. Not all microorganisms are killed so the product is not truly sterilized.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Consumer Reports actually tested ketchup & found out it doesn't need to be refrigerated, something about so much sugar & salt in it that it was relatively immune to bacerial growth.

It would be due to the acidity of the ketchup. The sugar provides plenty of food for the microorganisms to grow, and the salt is not at a level to drastically change the water activity of ketchup to inhibit growth.

 

[Schadenfreude]

I've worked at a restaurant as a waitor for two years, and unless I'm not mistaken, we never, ever refrigerated ketchup or mustard.