Ketchup was once sold as medicine.
In the 1830s, ketchup was marketed as a medicinal remedy. Dr. John Cook Bennett, an American physician, claimed that his tomato-based ketchup could cure ailments such as diarrhea, indigestion, and jaundice. He even produced concentrated ketchup in pill form, which gained popularity among consumers seeking these health benefits.
However, the market soon became saturated with imitators producing their own versions of medicinal ketchup, often making exaggerated claims about their products' efficacy. Some of these products contained little to no tomato content and were essentially laxatives. This proliferation of dubious products led to public skepticism, and by the 1850s, the trend of selling ketchup as medicine had largely faded.
Despite its fall from medicinal grace, ketchup found a new life as a popular condiment. In 1876, Henry J. Heinz introduced a recipe that emphasized quality and taste, helping to establish ketchup as a staple in American cuisine.