Is a Ketchup Shortage Coming?

Last week, we were telling you that the newest pandemic shortage in our country is ketchup packets. We were a little surprised that it was happening now and not last year around this time.

When the pandemic began, restaurants were forced to focus on to-go orders. This created an increase in the demand for single-use ketchup packets. Even after the restaurants opened up their dining room, they were forced to remove reusable items from the table.

Get our free mobile app

They had to remove ketchup bottles to help prevent the spread of the virus. Also, more people are also cooking from home and sales of ketchup went up 15% in the last year. It looked like the shortage wave was ready to crash on the shore.

I even looked around my office and "discovered" some classic packets in my desk and a few more in the refrigerator. I wonder how much I can get for them on eBay? I digress.

We were beginning to worry that we'd have to find another condiment to put on our french fries but in the words of college football analyst, Lee Corso, "Not so fast my friend." Red Gold has announced that ketchup will NOT be the next toilet paper.

Red Gold Ketchup To The Rescue

The second-largest manufacturer of tomato products in the US said that they have been prepared for the surge since May 2020 when they doubled their production capacity.

The demand is still higher than pre-covid and production is "temporarily strained" but they assure us that we won't have to eat our hot dogs without ketchup this summer. If you are still concerned and want to be put something else on your dog, check out the gallery below.