Times-Union readers want to know:
Is is true that Israel banned sales of Heinz Tomato Ketchup?
It is true, according to Snopes.com, that a rival ketchup manufacturer lobbied the Israeli government to change Heinz's labeling.
The government did rule that the label must be changed, but Heinz ketchup was never banned in Israel.
On Feb. 12, the website Health and Home Remedies published an article that claimed Israel had declared Heinz brand ketchup unsafe because of genetically modified ingredients:
"Israel has recently banned Heinz ketchup from the country and they say it's because it doesn't have high enough amount of tomatoes in it. But there are a couple of more reasons why it was banned ... Heinz is loaded with high fructose corn syrup, which is extremely unhealthy. The corn syrup is made of GMO corn and this is what makes it so dangerous. It can cause a rapid increase in your blood sugar levels and damage your liver."
Snopes.com found that the article was almost identical to a Jan. 22 post in the blog, Stay on the Health Path.
Heinz Europe replied to a query from Snopes.com:
"Heinz remains committed to taking every possible step to ensure that Heinz varieties remain free from ingredients derived from genetically modified crops.
"Where there is the potential for GM material to be present or where ingredients are derived from soya or maize, we source non-GM, identity preserved ingredients through carefully audited suppliers. In addition, independent testing is carried out."
So the claim that Israel "banned" Heinz ketchup in early 2016 was misleading. The articles appeared to refer to a mid-2015 controversy about ketchup labeling in Israel, one that did not involve any kind of ban.
An Aug. 18, 2015, article published by Israeli news source Haaretz, the country's health ministry, imposed a labeling restriction on Heinz, Snopes.com reported:
"The brand Heinz may be synonymous with ketchup for most of the world, but no longer in Israel, the Health Ministry recently ruled.
"Heinz's product must be called 'tomato seasoning' instead. The ruling does not affect English labeling."
The August 2015 ruling stemmed from a January 2015 controversy, in which another ketchup producer Osem argued that the composition of Heinz's product shouldn't legally be allowed to bear the label "ketchup" because it didn't contain the minimum amount of tomatoes to be legally called ketchup. Heinz then accused Osem of maintaining a monopoly in Israel:
In a warning letter to the country's supermarkets, Osem said that a lab test it conducted showed that the Heinz ketchup distributed in Israel contains only about 20 percent tomato concentrate, much less than the 61 percent minimum required by Israeli regulations, Snopes.com reported.
Osem also said that Heinz's 32-ounce bottles are labeled as containing 39 percent tomato concentrate but were found in lab tests to contain just 17 percent ... [which Osem claimed] meets standards in the U.S. and Europe but not in Israel, which requires ketchup to contain at least 10 percent tomato solids. Osem said tomato concentrate must make up at least 35 percent of the product to reach that level.
Diplomat Group, which distributes Heinz Ketchup in Israel and also received the warning letter, said that the lab tests must have produced inaccurate results. But even if they were correct, Diplomat contended, the regulation Osem is citing is not binding on Heinz Ketchup sold in Israel.
"Heinz ketchup is sold as ketchup in 130 countries, but according to Osem, in Israel it's not legal," the company said. "It's clear that monopolistic Osem would be happy if only its product could be sold in Israel, but Osem's claims are without substance. It is relying on a standard that is not official and is not mandatory. This determination is backed by a legal opinion."
And Diplomat said that Osem, which is controlled by the Swiss foods giant Nestle, has not provided the laboratory results on which it is basing its claim. ... The testing, Diplomat claimed, produced an estimate rather than data from measurement equipment.
On Aug. 25, 2015, the BBC published a statement from a Heinz Europe spokesperson in response to the controversy:
"Commenting on its product for sale in Israel, a Heinz Europe spokesman said: 'The word ketchup is indicated in English on the front of the bottle while recognising that the Israeli standard for ketchup has yet to be brought in line with U.S. and European accepted international standards. The back label of our ketchup sold in Israel reflects current local requirements for ingredient labeling and the Hebrew name for the product.
"The original, quality recipe for Heinz Tomato Ketchup sold in Israel and the standard for ketchup around the world remains unchanged."
Heinz ketchup was not banned in Israel, and the country didn't cite genetic modifications as a reason for its August 2015 ruling. The product must be labeled "tomato seasoning," but the product is still ketchup and remains readily available there.
Carole Fader: (904) 359-4635
