Remember, like a lot of other condiments, it usually has a best by date and not an expiration date. Because of this distinction, you may safely use it to compliment your favorite meals or snacks even after the "best by" or "best before" date has lapsed.

At Heinz, the largest producer of ketchup in the world, they stamp a best by date that is 15 months from the production date (the day it was bottled). [1].

How to tell if Ketchup is bad, rotten or spoiled?

Practicing proper hygiene and food safety techniques will help prevent foodborne illness.

A watery liquid will begin to separate from the thicker liquid as it ages, it is still safe to consume at this point, but the taste will soon be affected. Ketchup will get thicker over time as the liquid separates and then begin to look a darker maroon color instead of its usual bright red. Generally, if the color of any food changes from it's original state it's usually been around too long and, at a minimum, the taste will be affected.

There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled foods so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your foods before their shelf life has expired!

How to store Ketchup to extend its shelf life?

You can help ketchup stay fresh longer by storing it in the refrigerator in it's original container. Bottles can be kept right on the counter like many popular burger joints do, but they go through more bottles per day than any household (except maybe the Duggars). So, it's recommended to keep ketchup in the refrigerator so that it will last longer.

Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

How long is Ketchup good for when prepared in a dish?

How long does ketchup last? That depends. How long does meat last? In general, ketchup will probably be the longest lasting ingredient in the dish, but lasts only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient in the dish.

What are our shelf life resources?

In determining how long Ketchup lasts, our content incorporates research from multiple resources, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Food & Drug Administration. In addition, we scoured the web for informative articles and reports related to food safety, food storage and the shelf life of Ketchup.

*An important note about expiration dates...

Although the Ketchup shelf life information on Eat By Date is generally reliable, please remember that individual cases will vary and that our advice should only be taken as an opinion and not a replacement for your health care professional. Please eat responsibly!