Heinz debuts ‘Marz’ ketchup made from tomatoes grown in Mars-like conditions

Research team working on the Heinz Marz will be first to taste the new product on November 10th live on social media

According to CNN, Heinz revealed its first ketchup edition called “Marz” which is made from tomatoes grown in Mars-like conditions. Fourteen astrobiologists worked at the Aldrin Space Institute for 9 months to grow tomatoes, while controlling soil, temperatures and water conditions that are similar to that of planet, Mars.

Mark Massimino, former NASA astronaut, said that normal ketchup was used as staple essential to their meals in space, but the Marz edition may be something entirely different in flavor. The experiment however, opens up possibilities of growing food on Mars.

Andrew Palmer, team leader of the experiment at Aldrin Institute, said, “Before now, most efforts around discovering ways to grow in Martian-simulated conditions are short-term plant growth studies. What this project has done is look at long-term food harvesting. Achieving a crop that is of a quality to become Heinz Tomato Ketchup was the dream result and we achieved it.”

NASA has previously experimented with growing food in space to provide astronauts with more nutritious food. The International Space Station hosted a taco party recently, when they succeeded in harvesting their chile peppers in their space station.

The research team working on the Heinz Marz will be the first to taste the new product on November 10^th live on social media. The ketchup, unfortunately isn’t available for purchase.