Over the years, many brands have released short-lived novelty products. Who can forget KFC’s fried chicken scented candle, or when McDonald’s tried (and failed) to introduce fajitas to the menu? Perhaps funkiest of all was a quirky item Heinz rolled out in the early 2000s. If you were a kid or parent during this time, chances are that you’re all too familiar with the infamous EZ Squirt, a ketchup that came in all colors of the rainbow.
We all know Heinz for its iconic red ketchup. But in the 2000s, it decided to shake things up with the EZ Squirt line. Featuring colors like Blastin’ Green, Funky Purple, and Stellar Blue, it sounds like a crazy concept, but that didn’t stop it from selling over 25 million bottles in its heyday. Its success can be pinpointed to good marketing toward its target demographic: children. The bottles were playful, bright, and advertisements had no shortage of ideas how this quirky ketchup could be used to turn every meal into playtime.
So how did Heinz achieve this colorful ketchup? While Heinz’s classic ketchup doesn’t use artificial colors, the EZ Squirt line opted for artificial dyes over multi-colored heirloom tomatoes (or other vegetables) to achieve its bold hues. Allegedly, all the same ingredients were used as its standard ketchup, but some who tried it are convinced the taste was different. Unfortunately, there’s no way we can do a side-by-side comparison. As the novelty wore off, kids started to lose interest in the colorful ketchup fad, and the trend eventually died down. Ultimately, Heinz discontinued EZ Squirt in 2006. It was an undeniable hit with kids, shaking up both how ketchup looked and how easy it was to decant, so we wouldn’t be mad if it were to make a comeback.
EZ Squirt Ketchup might not be the craziest thing Heinz have ever released
Heinz is synonymous with the basics: ketchup, of course, along with mayo, mustard, and barbecue sauce — it even popularized canned baked beans. Luxury items like caviar aren’t exactly on brand. And yet, in 2019, that’s exactly the direction it went. Teaming up with luxury British department store Fortnum & Mason to mark its 150th anniversary, Heinz rolled out a prize draw where winners could sample something called “Heinz Ketchup Caviar.”
We had to double-check if this was an April Fools’ stunt, but no — we came to find out this was a Valentine’s Day event (ValenHeinz, as the brand dubbed it). The product itself was a set of pearl-like spheres filled with its signature ketchup. Think a Heinz ketchup version of popping boba. Reviews were predictably rough, but that didn’t stop it from becoming a novelty flex, with the product resurfacing on retail sites like eBay for as much as $400.
Another unusual product to come out of the Heinz factory was Heinz Ketchup Creamz. Introduced in 2020 during the peak of COVID summer, this was the perfect product for those looking to make DIY ketchup ice cream at home — delicious! The kit featured a Heinz-logo tub, a golden scoop, and a bottle of ketchup. Customers were instructed to mix the ketchup with double cream, condensed milk, and whole milk. According to Heinz, meringue and raspberry coulis would make for perfect toppings. But if we had to pick a topping, it would easily be Heinz’s Hagelchup, a limited-edition item introduced to the Dutch market in 2004. Featuring small, rice-sized grains of ketchup, it was a playful nod to Dutch hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles).