Heinz no longer a 'ketchup' in Israel

Israel’s Health Ministry ruled that Heinz ketchup does not contain enough tomato solids

Heinz may be widely accepted as ketchup across the globe but Israel has recently disqualified it as ketchup.

Removing it from the category of condiments altogether, Israel’s Health Ministry ruled that the Heinz brand product does not contain enough "tomato solids". It has now been graded as "tomato seasoning" reports Ynet.

The ruling is a consequence of a lobbying drive lead by the Israeli food manufacturer Osem, which owns a large chunk of the ketchup market in Israel.

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The ruling was the result of a lobbying campaign by Israeli food manufacturer Osem, which produces a large portion of the ketchup consumed in Israel.

Osem addressed a letter to retailers back in January claiming to have tested Heinz ketchup in a “leading European external laboratory” and found that it only contained 21 per cent tomato concentrate instead of the 61 per cent it advertises; whereas the Israeli trade standards require 41 per cent tomato concentrate in ketchup.

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Diplomat, the company distributing Heinz, - which stands at second place in terms of sales compared to Osem - snubbed Osem’s claims as "having no substance" whilst adding: “Obviously, Osem, which has a monopoly, would be happy if it were only possible to sell their product in Israel".

However, Haaretz reports that Heinz is appealing to change the Health Ministry’s standards to qualify as ketchup again.

Israelis have long complained about the impact of local monopolies on the economy, specifically the Food sector, which leads to high prices of products.

They feel local monopolies distort the economy, especially the food market, leading to high prices on products like cottage cheese and Milky brand pudding.

This article originally appeared on Times of Israel