Heinz Debuts New Ketchup Packet, Pants Everywhere Rejoice

Friday, 05 February 2010 | by Pat's Picks

I saw in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this morning that Heinz has come up with a new design for its ketchup packets. It features a built-in dipping tray. My first reaction was: How smart is that?  I’ve always been in puzzled by people who drizzle ketchup across their french fries. Too messy for me. I prefer to dip. Perhaps this is too much detail—but if you’re eating at a fast-food place sometimes you’re not sure where to put the ketchup.  Do you use the top half of your Big Mac box?  Do you use a napkin?  Is the paper liner on the tray clean enough that you can dispense the ketchup there?

Thankfully, these questions are a thing of the past because now you can just dip directly into the new ketchup package.

My second reaction to the Heinz news, after reflecting on the many tomato stains my clothes have collected over the years, was: What took so long? The new packaging still offers the traditional ketchup squeezing option. The company says it took almost two years to perfect the design. No word on how many pairs of pants were harmed in the process.

The Post-Gazette references an Onion article from a decade ago about a man and his many ketchup packets. It is, of course, hilarious.

Read the press release from Heinz or scroll down for a video demonstration: