23rd September 2010
Does Heinz Ketchup contain Genetically Modified Ingredients?
So i called up Heinz to find out if their ketchup contained any genetically modified ingredients since i have no interested in eating that ****.
The rep on the phone said “we cannot guarantee that our products do not contain genetically modified ingredients”. For me that meant “yes it does, but no way we’re confessing”. So…. I then proceeded to tweet it.
Heinz caught word and sent us the following:
“In fact, our Heinz Tomato Ketchup products never contain genetically engineered ingredients. I apologize if our Consumer Affairs representative was not sufficiently clear in his explanation.
It may also interest you to know that every tomato that goes into every bottle of Heinz Ketchup sold in Canada, except for our organic variety, is grown by 47 farmers whose fields are within 100 kms of our Leamington, Ontario plant where it is made.
Heinz Canada is committed to providing a range of safe and nutritious products that consumers will both enjoy and trust. Sincerely, Joan Patterson Corporate Affairs Leader Heinz Canada”
Thanks for the clarification!!!!
UPDATE – According to a comment made from Doc below “Heinz is not responding at all to requests for more information about the (presumably) GMO beet sugar that replaced the (assumed) GMO HFCS in their product. You do the math.”
I called a few others last week……
Kettle Chips confirms they’re GMO free. (crunching away)
I also contacted Consumer Services for Smucker Foods regarding their Robin Hood Flour. They didn’t even respond. So now I spend 2x as much on organic flour.
When companies say “they cannot guarantee that their products do not contain genetically modified ingredients” I boycott.
Innkeeper’s Bed & Breakfast bread at Costco and Oregon Trail™ sold at Sams Club is genetically modified and made by Cargill = bread.com. Watch out for their other brands.
I won’t support companies who choose to use genetically modified ingredients. This article by a farmer also gave me a new perspective on GMO crops.
Does your food contain genetically modified ingredients? Here what you can do today….
- Call or e-mail companies that you buy from on a regular basis and ask them what their GMO policies are. Do they have any? Are they planning on drawing one up?
- Get the Non-GMO Project Shopping Guide app on your iPhone.
- Slowly influence your friends by mocking them on their ignorant food choices.
Take 2min to call or send an e-mail, chances are companies will stand up and pay attention to what we want.
Do the research slowly, at the pace of one item per week or even per month. Blog your responses. If you don’t have time, send them in.
Genetic Modified Foods and GM Animals will be the embarrassment of our generation just like environmental pollution is to our parents.
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way to go. I have been informing friends about GMO, some pay attention and others do not. I have asked those Natural Food Pantry stores if they know what foods they sell contain GMO products, they didn’t have an answer for me either…..amazing, should they not know? they claim their products are “natural”.
Many companies are starting to notice that consumers will not accept this. Cracker Barrel has a commercial out that claims their cheese does not contain hormones, antibiotics etc. The power of a few can definitely change things. Imagine what we could do if only 10% of consumers voiced their concerns to their supermarkets and boycotted certain products!
The version of Heinz with High Fructose Corn Syrup does very likely contain GMO corn, most of the corn (80%+) produced in the U.S. is GMO and you can not find non GMO HFCS. The version with sugar may also likely be GMO if it is a beet sugar, again because most of the beets grown in the U.S. are GMO. Cane sugar is not GMO, but generally more expensive than beet sugar. I believe that the Heinz rep to whom you spoke was only referring to the tomatoes, which are not GMO.
Yup. Heinz is not responding at all to requests for more information about the (presumably) GMO beet sugar that replaced the (assumed) GMO HFCS in their product. You do the math.
https://www.facebook.com/HeinzKetchup
Twice I’ve send heinz a request to find out their source of the “sugar”. The first email (2015) was ignored and I expect the second (2016) will be the same.
I’ve looked at other small producers and so far they all have “natural flavors” which is a euphemism for MSG (i.e. Gelatin, Calcium Caseinate, Monosodium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Textured Protein, Monopotassium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast Extract,Glutamate, Autolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast food or nutrient,Glutamic Acid, Sodium Caseinate, or Autolyzed Yeast).
Make your own ketchup and be done with these food manufactures that refuse to use natural ingredients. To hell with them and their, GMO’s, HFCS, Hidden MSG content and disgusting manufacturing processes.
Have any of you found a suitable product with non of the above crap in it??
I find it questionable that Heinz doesn’t use GMO products in its ketchup because it contains corn syrup. Since 90% of corn crops are GMO it seems that the corn syrup in its ketchup does indeed contain GMOs.
HFCS doesn’t test positive for GMO because it has no proteins, therefore, no genetic information.
That information is great but I have a question about their “with the exception of our organic ketchup” part of the statement. Does that mean ALL Heinz ketchup is non GMO, including the organic variety and the exception part was referring to where the organic tomatoes are grown? Just curious as I buy heinz org ketchup and am also becoming very aware of the food I buy, trying to buy non GMO whenever possible! Thank you!
🙁 Heinz donated so much of their money to support prop 37 HEINZ +GMO
I am allergic to GMO’s (not a joke). I can tell you for a fact that even the ketchup in Canada makes me sick. if it’s not the tomatoes, it’s the sugar then, maybe in 2010 the sugar was normal, now it’s defiantly not. I will also never buy Heinz organic ketchup, I will always do my best to always buy from the small companies who needs the money and not from the big corporations.
Corn syrup is a gmo…
The problem goes much deeper than the product being GMO or not. Yes, if the product contains GMO’S that is bad, but what is really bad is the Glyphosate they put on the GMO products. Glyphosate is Round-Up insecticide and the residue is the subject of the recent MIT research project headed by Stephanie Seneff that has found Round-Up to be the primary culprit in blocking all kinds of normal pathways in the human body and this is a leading cause of many of the now epidemic diseases.
Please read the study and decide for yourself the significance of this study. I believe it is one of the most earth shaking studies on this issue and proves we have a problem of epidemic proportions as a result of Round-Up.
“Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases”
We have to get the junk out of the distribution as soon as possible.
Contrary to the quotes at the top of this post, Regular Heinz Tomato Ketchup sold in the U.S. certainly does contain GMO ingredients in the form of high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup from GMO corn. Check it out at: http://www.shopwell.com/heinz-ketchup-tomato/condiments/p/1300000574?f=sr&nr=98&sp=18 Tell them you’re not buying any Heinz products until they stop using GMO ingredients at https://www.facebook.com/HeinzKetchup
The kettle chips maybe non Gmo but what kind of oil are they fried in? Soy, corn and canola even cotton seed are all Gmo, unico has a Veg. Oil with all three listed on the back liable. Also Rogers sugar out of Vancouver is the first Canadian refinery to use Gmo sugar beets grown in Alberta, for lantic, for shame!
Nico Roberts