No condiment controversy: Canada not facing ketchup shortage

Demand may be up but there is enough ketchup in Canada to go around, Kraft tells 680NEWS.

The statement comes amid a big ketchup shortage in the United states, specifically the ketchup packets consumers usually get with their takeaway meal. The packets are few and far between south of the border amid a big surge in takeout and delivery from restaurants due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand is so high that wholesale prices for the condiment packets are up 13 per cent from January of 2020.

But it’s a bit of a different story here in Canada.

“There has definitely been a surge in demand for ketchup packets in Canada driven by accelerated delivery and take-out trends related to the pandemic, but there is currently no shortage,” Av Maharaj, Chief Administrative Officer for Kraft Heinz Canada tells 680NEWS. “We continue to work with our foodservice operators to ensure their orders are filled in a timely way”

“We’ve made strategic manufacturing investments in capacity for our ketchup packet production lines, and we continue to work hard to keep up with demand.”

Its not just takeout food orders that are leading to a jump in demand for ketchup packets. Since the pandemic began, shared items like ketchup bottles have largely been removed from restaurants, replaced with single-use items such as single use packets.