Is blue mustard next?

By JANET K. KEELER, Times food editor

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 3, 2000

[Photo: AP] Heinz's new "E-Z Squirt" bottled green ketchup.

What's red, then green and talked about all over?

Heinz's wacky new green ketchup, of course. The say-what? condiment is getting lots of media attention despite not even being on grocery store shelves yet. EZ Squirt Blastin' Green will hit some markets in October and spread to the entire country by January.

The media, however, already have bitten hard.

The product was mentioned in back-to-back issues of Entertainment Weekly, once as being hotter than wasabi (so five minutes ago) and honey mustard (totally out). That's priceless buzz in a magazine that largely focuses on Harrison, Halle and Hole rather than the likes of Heinz.

Just two weeks ago, green ketchup was taste-tested on an episode of Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, when, of course, there was still a Kathie Lee on the set. That bottle came from the private stash of a Heinz spokeswoman.

There have been segments on CNN and ABC news plus articles in many newspapers. With all this publicity, will we be over it and onto something else when green ketchup finally hits the stores?

No, says Brian Sansoni, spokesman for the Grocery Manufacturers of America in Washington, D.C. In fact, Heinz has us just where it wants us.

"It's always in your favor to create buzz and build anticipation," Sansonisaid. "Whenever you can get this kind of publicity for a product, it's always to your benefit."

According to the Associated Press, the 131-year-old food company embarked on a campaign to plump up ketchup sales last year after its share of the U.S. market dropped to about 43 percent. Rather than going after adults who buy the ketchup, Heinz targeted younger eaters.

Heinz's research with young focus groups found that kids would like to see ketchup in a color other than red, so researchers cooked up several varieties, reported the AP. They tried blue but settled on deep green because "It has a little more kitchen logic," said company officials.

To facilitate ketchup art for kids, an hourglass-shaped squeeze bottle was devised. The new bottle, which Entertainment Weekly says adults will love for its Jennifer Lopez shape, has a thin nozzle so kids can write on their food. Heinz will sell an EZ Squirt bottle with traditional red ketchup.

The pitch to adults? Added vitamin C.

The green condiment supposedly tastes the same as red; the difference is the yellow and blue food coloring. We'll let you know as soon as we can get our hands on some.

Heinz isn't the only company marketing a new ketchup. An organic variety, bearing the name of children's author Richard Scarry (Busytown and Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, among countless others), will share shelf space this fall.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.