Heinz Says NO to High Fructose Corn Syrup with Their Simply Heinz Ketchup...NOT! Why Hunt's is the Real Deal

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I was really happy when a friend of mine recently told me about how Heinz was taking HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) out of their ketchup.  It made me feel like we were really making progress toward a helping the everyday consumer live a healthier life.  So many people do not have the information about HFCS and it's ill health effects (check out The Double Dangers of HFCS) and I thought it was going to be one of the first food manufacturer to totally eliminate HFCS and help people live healthier.  I was so happy that fast food restaurants would now have healthy little packets of ketchup for all to use.  Well after calling Heinz, I really got my bubble burst.

When I contacted Heinz, I was told that while they already offer their organic ketchup (which is sweetened with organic cane sugar), they have recently introduced "Simply Heinz" which is a 32 oz bottle of ketchup sweetened with cane sugar.  Surprisingly though, it seems that all of their other sizes of ketchup (including the popular 24 oz size) are still sweetened using HFCS.  People this is Greenwashing at its best.

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I followed up my call to Heinz with a call to Hunt's and was surprised at not only the response I received about their ketchup, but I was also surprised at their commitment to all of their ConAgra brands.  It seems that Hunt's has completely removed HFCS from ALL of their ketchups.  Even the Hunt's Perfect Squeeze bottle is now 100% natural and free of HFCS.  Hunt's has discontinued all ketchup made with HFCS. If you are really looking for a great ketchup that is less expensive than organic ketchup, you should check out Hunt's.

Although Hunt's still has ketchup containing HFCS remaining on grocer's shelves (due to long shelf lives), Hunt's remains committed to delivering healthy products that consumers demand.  Restaurants will even be receiving their packets of ketchup in the new formulation without HFCS.  Hunt's is a part of the ConAgra conglomerate of brands, which still offer other products made with HFCS, yet their goal is to provide consumers with the healthy products that we are telling them we want...including products without HFCS.

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ConAgra's Alexia brand is another great line of products without HFCS or Trans Fats which are all natural.  You can find the Alexia line of Artisan breads in the frozen bread section at your  market and they have other products like onion rings and mashed potatoes.  I always feel good about serving their breads to my family and we all think they are delicious.

So folks, if you get a chance, call ConAgra  and thank them for their commitment to removing HFCS from ketchup and ask them to remove it from all of their brands.  Then call Heinz and let them know what a bunch of green washers they are!  Go Hunts!

Update 10-20-12: As an update to this post written in 2010, please read a current post about ConAgra Brands and their support in opposition to labeling GMO foods. 

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P.S.- People always ask me where I get my organic food and personal care products and I love to tell them about The Green PolkaDot Box! Backed by the Organic Consumer's Association and EnvironmentalBooty.com, you can easily buy NonGMO organic groceries, including Harvest Fresh Organic produce, at wholesale pricing online.  It's like a Sam's club but focused on products for green, healthy living! You can even shop by dietary restrictions like gluten free, vegan or diabetic and it all comes right to your front door. Enjoy!