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Packaging
Ketchup manufactured by a commercial company is commonly packed by different materials including Poly Ethylene (PE), Poly Propylene (PP), Poly Ethylene Terephthalate (PET), Sachet (single-use packaging) and glass. With a modern filling machine, the bottles are filled at 88ºC, sealed and washed with warm water to remove any adhering ketchup.

Pasteurization
Pasteurization of ketchup in the bottle is essential. It is used to inactivate spoilage-causing microorganisms making the food safe to eat. Commonly, ketchup is filled into bottles at about 88ºC, bottles are then sealed with crown corks and pasteurized for 30 to 35 minutes in hot water at 85ºC-88ºC. Due to its natural acidity, ketchup is shelf-stable, however, pasteurization does not kill all the psychotropic spoilage-causing bacteria in ketchup, it is better to keep ketchup refrigerated to maintain its quality after opening.

Canning
Canning has been a traditional approach to preserving tomato products including ketchup. The method is now commonly utilized by households to destroy both spoilage and disease-causing microorganisms so that the ketchup can be preserved longer. Canning usually involves pre-sealing the food in containers prior to heating. In practice, canning ketchup include the following procedure: filling the cooked ketchup into a clean and well-sealed glass jar, putting the glass jar into a pot with 1 inch of water covering the top of the glass jar, and finally boiling them for at least 15 minutes. Acidifying is another method accompanied with canning to ensure the safety of ketchup. For every quart of ketchup, there is 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or half teaspoon citric acid. The acid can be added directly to each jar before filling them with the product. If this makes the product taste too acidic, a little sugar is helpful to offset the taste.

Processing
Fresh tomatoes received at a tomato processing plant can be turned into a variety of different products, one of which includes ketchup. The process begins by washing the tomatoes to remove any outer dirt and foreign matter from the skin prior to processing. Upon inspection, damaged, spoiled or unwanted tomatoes will be sorted out manually. Tomatoes will usually be conveyed by water throughout the preliminary stages to avoid bruising.

After being sorted, washed and chopped up, they proceed into large steel vats for preservation/precooking and also to destroy any bacteria that could be harmful for the rest of the processing period as well as for the consumer after production. The juice will be extracted out by a juice extraction system. The outer skin, seed, stem, and fiber of fruits would be separated from the juice in a process known as pulping. Once separated, the juice and the pulp from the tomato get filtered and processed into ketchup. A smoother ketchup consistency is achieved through more filtering and screenings, weeding out any excess pulp.

Ketchup processing includes adding additional ingredients, cooking, more screening and filtering, air-removal, packaging and cooling.

After juice filtration, additional ingredients are added to the mixture to achieve the desired taste and consistency. Some of the main ingredients used to create ketchup include sweeteners, vinegar, salt and spices, and flavouring. These additions are usually integrated later on in the process with the exception of some spices added in at the beginning. Throughout the entire process, temperature must be consistently monitored to make sure all the ingredients are being added and absorbed properly. Air is then removed in order to prevent oxidation, maintain proper colouring and inhibit the growth of any unwanted bacteria. Before being packaged, the ketchup is heated to approx.190°F (88°C) to prevent contamination.

After packaging, the bottles are immediately sealed to retain the freshness and preserve the shelf-life of the product. The final step is cooling the product via cold air or water to maintain its flavour.

Different manufacturers will label their products accordingly with all the necessary nutritional and other legal information as required.

Nutrition
Ketchup is a low-calorie condiment which contains just 15 calories per tablespoon. Compared to mayonnaise, there is no fat and far fewer calories per serving in ketchup. As ketchup is primarily made from tomatoes, vinegar, salt, pepper, and spices, it contains Vitamins A and C which make it healthier than other table sauces. According to a 2002 American study of 47,000 men, eating tomato ketchup two or more times a week can reduce men’s risk of developing prostate cancer by around twenty percent. Moreover, there is evidence that we can find high levels of antioxidant lycopene in processed and cooked tomatoes. Lycopene is an antioxidant, which can protect our body’s cells from free radical damage, has been proved that can significantly decrease the risk of developing heart disease. A study also shows that lycopene could increase swimming speed and reduce the number of abnormal sperm, which can decrease male infertility rate. Ketchup can cut out cholesterol because it could cut low-density lipoprotein, aka “bad cholesterol”. A study in 2007 shows that volunteers who added ketchup to their three daily meals can be observed that their total cholesterol levels drop by six percent over six weeks. In addition to contain high level of vitamin C and low in fat, ketchup is also a rich source of Vitamin A, which is essential to our immune system and good for our vision.

There are also some arguments about the negative aspects of ketchup because of two ingredients – sugar and salt. There are 4 grams of sugar and 190 milligrams of sodium contained in each tablespoon. A large proportion of sugar in ketchup comes from added sugar rather than natural sugar found in tomatoes. Except the sugar contents shown on the ingredients list, some food companies have de-virginized its ingredient list by adding high fructose corn syrup, natural flavoring, and tomato concentrate to increase the flavor of their products. When it comes to the sodium content, the daily recommendation for sodium is 2300 milligrams a day for healthy adult. That is, it is easy to overload on sodium if you consuming 8 tablespoons of ketchup per day.