Does ketchup belong in the refrigerator or the pantry? It’s the age-old debate that Heinz has finally put to bed.
Imagine you’re at the grocery store, and you’ve run out of ketchup (a travesty), and so you pick up a bottle and take it home.
From there, you’re faced with a dilemma: to store it in the cold refrigerator or cool and try cupboard?
It’s a tough call, but only one of those options is correct.
The worst part is that if you make the wrong call, you could be compromising its taste, or god forbid, it’s integrity.
So, what do you do?
Well, the argument has been closed and there’s a clear winner.
Let’s get into it.
How do you store your ketchup? (Smith Collection/Gado / Contributor / Getty)
While you may have been tricked into thinking that the way you’ve been storing it is correct, or even universal, but you’d be wrong.
After conducting a poll on social media, which saw over 2,500 participants eagerly take part, Heinz found that people were puzzled, and opinions were almost evenly split.
So, they decided to come out and tell the world the correct answer themselves.
Heinz representative Olivia Lennon told the Daily Mail: “There was only ever one correct answer, and we’re happy to share with Heinz Tomato Ketchup lovers that our ketchup has to be in the fridge.”
Wow, it’s a sad day for the pantry choosers.
They continued: “Although we’re aware many Heinz Tomato Ketchup fans have been storing their ketchup in the cupboard, we do recommend refrigeration after opening.”
She continued. “This is the best way to maintain the delicious tangy taste of our Heinz Tomato Ketchup that you know and love.”
If that’s not enough to convince you, I’d welcome you to go into your cupboard and take out the ketchup bottle.
Now, turn it around and see what the recommendation says on the back.
Did you see it?
The poll didn’t show a great result (ismagilov / Getty)
That’s right. It says: “For Best Results, Refrigerate After Opening.”
But this isn’t new to the world, as the brand previously addressed the issue in a similar poll on X in 2017 about how to store ketchup.
“Because of its natural acidity, Heinz Ketchup is shelf-stable,” Heinz said.
Think about it, you’re not finding ketchup in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, but that’s because it’s sealed and unused.
But when it’s open, it you should ‘refrigerate after opening to maintain product quality.’
Giving a slightly more blunt response to the age old debate, Heinz said again in a tweet in 2023: “FYI: Ketchup. goes. in. the. fridge!!!”
When Redditors questioned this stance, a user had the most perfect response to pantry-lovers.
They wrote: “A lot of condiments like bottled ketchup and mustard are shelf stable for longer than most people would take to use them. Eventually they will degrade in quality enough that you might want to replace it.
“Refrigeration is recomended to maintain their quality but that is usually the only reason. Some artisan or home made varieties might not stand up as well as the mass produced kinds.”
Let’s he real here: do you really want to take the risk of having your ketchup lose its amazing taste just because you don’t want it to be cold?
The age-old debate of what is acceptable when traveling on a plane continues.
One topic that springs to mind is seat reclining during a flight.
While some argue that being able to sit back and relax during their journey is paramount, others are less enthusiastic about having someone’s seat in their face.
In fact, one person seemingly reclined their seat back so much that it ended up breaking another passenger’s laptop.
To deter people from reclining so much, someone suggested that you turn your air conditioning on full blast so it’s on their head — a suggestion that left many people divided.
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Traveling etiquette is often a topic of conversation (Getty Stock)
But away from reclining seats is the important matter of dining while on a plane.
At the end the day, you’re in a pretty confined space for a long period of time while flying, so surely it’s only fair that this is taken into consideration when eating, right?
Well, this TikToker sure seemed to think so and wasn’t pleased when a fellow passenger whipped out a tuna melt to chow down on.
He raged: “Because why are we eating a TUNA MELT on a flight?!?”
The social media user, who goes by @zaviertorrence on TikTok, even went as far as saying that someone should be ‘incarcerated for 10 days’ for eating such food on a plane.
People were quick to share their opinions on the matter. One person commented on the clip: “I have a 10 hour flight coming up…you expect people not to eat during a flight???”
“Oh I’m eating with no care if you like it or not,” wrote another.
A third added: “I’m flying to Europe soon. yes I’m eating on that long flight.”
Others argued that while they would still eat on during a flight, they certainly wouldn’t choose to dine on a tuna melt.
“Food is fine strong scented food is a CRIME WHAT DO YOU MEAN A TUNA MELT,” someone said.
“Hell yeah I’m eating. Just not a tuna melt,” echoed another TikTok user.
The TikToker suggested that people should be jailed for eating a tuna melt (zaviertorrence/TikTok)
A different person penned: “It’s office rules. Only eat food that is not fragrant, so no fish, no fried items etc. How do we not know this?”
Experts at Netflights have since said similar, and urged that people don’t take particularly smelly food on a plane.
“As the viral TikTok shares, being in an enclosed space can lead to bad odours circling the plane, with nowhere to escape,” they said.
“Passengers have argued online about being frustrated with other passengers when they bring potent-smelling foods onto the flight.
A man has finally drawn a line in the sand after claiming tipping ‘is getting out of control’ – but not everyone agrees with him.
If you grew up in the US, you are probably used to tipping when you go out to grab some food.
If you moved over there, you likely responded with raised eyebrows at the tipping expectations, but eventually fell in line.
But the debate around when to tip and how much to tip is constantly evolving.
Some prefer to tip 15 percent, others 10, and some 5, if they are given the opportunity.
But one TikToker has essentially put his foot down on when he things it is acceptable to tip and has divided social media users.
Tipping is a controversial subject (Getty Stock Images/Grace Cary)
Last week, Robert Calver (@robert_calver) shared a brief video to his followers in a clip that has been viewed more than one million times.
“New Rule: If I order standing up, I’m not tipping,” the TikToker wrote in a text overlay as he sat down and ate some french fries in view of a burger and drink.
The debate around when to tip and how much to tip is constantly evolving. (@robert_calver/TikTok)
In the caption for the video he briefly explained his reasoning and said: “Tipping is getting out of control.”
Many in the comment section did agree with him and questioned why they should be paying for a service through tipping when they have had to order the food themselves rather than being served.
“YES. If it’s just a normal fast food joint I ain’t tipping. I will only tip servers and bartenders,” one user wrote.
“I feel bad doing it but like why is there an option to tip when I told you I wanted a burger and some fries at McDonald’s,” another commented.
“The Little Ceasers near me decided to start asking for tips in the drive thru. nah man there’s a reason I’m getting the cheapest pizza lmao,” a third added.
“Do service people not realize that it’s not the customers’ fault you’re not getting paid enough? Go to a company that DOES pay you enough. Depending on tips is awful,” commented another.
Many in the comment section did agree with him and questioned why they should be paying for a service through tipping.(robert_calver/TikTok)
However, there were some who said regardless of the establishment or service, they would regularly opt to give a tip as they are aware many people working service jobs are not paid sufficiently.
“I understand this but an extra dollar can really just put a smile on their face so if I have it why not,” one person wrote.
“Am I the only one that always drops a tip? Even just a couple of bucks,” another said.
What are you doing, do you tip if you have to order your food yourself?
When you hear of anyone reaching 100 years old it is almost second nature to ask ‘What’s your secret?’, and usually they’ll reply with something about what they eat every morning.
Having interviewed a few centenarians myself, the most bizarre response came from a British woman who told me her secret was reading murder mystery books – I guess it helps keep you all there upstairs.
Well, now 101-year-old Ruth Goldberg Jaskow has revealed her surprising eating habits which may well have enabled her to live a long life.
Ruth Goldberg Jaskow is 101 years old (Facebook/Atria Rye Brook)
The centenarian, who is a former teacher that lives in New York City, was married to Lou Jaskow, a World War II veteran, who passed away at the age of 103 in 2023 – and she now wants to ‘beat’ his age.
While longevity can partially come down to genetics, different lifestyle aspects can also play a part.
Speaking to Business Insider, Ruth shared her top tips.
Happiness
The New Yorker urged people to just go and enjoy their lives if they want to reach triple figures, explaining that she herself spends her free time seeing her family and making jewelry, which she enjoys.
In fact, there have been several studies that have concluded happy people are generally healthier – including a 2015 study on happiness and longevity in the US.
The New Yorker has vowed to live longer than her husband – who died at the age of 103 (Facebook/Atria Rye Brook)
Keep active
“You just need to keep moving,” Ruth said.
Even at her grand age, she still does a workout each day – having once been an avid dancer and tennis player in her younger years.
Eat what you want
Ruth shared that she has no special diet and doesn’t eat anything in particular all the time – instead she consumes whatever she wants because she simply loves food.
Now, that’s a diet I can wholeheartedly get behind.
Ruth and her late husband, Lou (Facebook/Atria Rye Brook)
Taking to Facebook to wish Ruth a happy birthday, her retirement home wrote: “Ruth Ella Goldberg Jaskow, at 101, is living proof that age is just a number.
“She met her late husband, Lou, at the tender age of 16 during a summer romance at Lake Mahopac. They married during World War II, and Ruth recalls her happiest day as the moment she saw Lou walking down the gangplank upon returning from the war.
“Ruth’s positive outlook on life contributed to their 79 years of happiness together. The couple moved to Atria Rye Brook when she was 96 and Lou was 99. There, they celebrated their 77th anniversary among other happy occasions, sharing their lives until Lou’s passing at the age of 103.”
The post concluded: “Now, Ruth continues her joyful life at Atria Rye Brook, starting each day with exercises that inspire those around her. Her vibrant spirit proves to us all that age truly is just a number.”
A pregnant woman was left in shock after a McDonald’s worker left a note on her food order.
When we go to Maccies, we want to be able to order whatever we fancy, without having to return it if the order isn’t quite right.
But unfortunately, this mum-to-be was left pretty stunned by what she received after ordering a simple breakfast item.
Posting on Reddit, the woman’s boyfriend explained what happened when she ordered a Sausage and Egg McMuffin from a branch in Australia.
He explained that because his girlfriend is pregnant, she decided not to have the egg in her breakfast muffin.
While it is safe for pregnant women to eat eggs as long as they are completely cooked or pasteurised, some choose not to.
“My girlfriend just ordered a sausage McMuffin from McDonalds in Maylands, Western Australia,” the man explained.
“She selected Option 1 as she didn’t want egg (she’s pregnant). All other ingredients were clearly listed: ‘Sausage McMuffin: English Muffin, Beef Sausage, etc’.”
But the man explained that when she opened up her order – which felt pretty light considering she had only asked to remove the egg – she was left in shock.
“She received an empty wrapper and a note explaining: ‘Sausage egg has
egg, muffins, sausage, cheese, it’s no for everything so we have just given the
wrapping.’
“What a world! I got a good chuckle out of it but hell hath no fury like a pregnant woman.”
Many Redditors suggested that the ingredients could have been accidentally removed, to which the man explained: “So both the order history & the physical receipt show all ingredients as being removed, so I can’t prove that my girlfriend didn’t do this either intentionally or accidentally.
“She also didn’t check the details in the cart when she put the order through.
“However, she vehemently denies even going into the customisation menu at all and I very almost fully believe her. It’s very unlikely that she went into the customisation menu and removed the ingredients one by one – but I can’t prove that she didn’t.
“We also haven’t been able to recreate the issue. I had a thought that it might be related to the options you can select that make automatic customisations but this is just a suspicion at this point.”
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Alongside the post, the man shared a photo of the order, which revealed a lone wrapper alongside an empty brown bag.
Many people were amused by what happened, with others wanting to know how much the couple were charged for the wrapper.
Imagine ordering a McDonald’s breakfast and receiving just a wrapper?!
