Is ketchup vegan? The answer isn’t as clear-cut as you might think. Included is a list of vegan ketchup brands.
Since ketchup is made from tomatoes, many people assume that it’s always vegan-friendly. Although ketchup is plant-based, there are products in some brands of ketchup that vegans may want to avoid.
Most ingredients in ketchup are vegan, but there’s one ingredient that can cause problems: sugar. Sugar is often used as a sweetener in ketchup, and unfortunately, refined sugar is an ingredient that strict vegans may want to avoid.
Why Aren’t Some Brands Vegan?
To make refined sugar, white, it’s processed using some sort of decolorizing filter. Although there are a range of filters that can be used, one of the most popular options is bone char.
There aren’t any animal bone particles in the actual sugar, but some people think the contact with the bones means that the sugar isn’t vegan.
If that’s you, you’ll want to buy ketchup specifically labeled as vegan or choose ketchup that doesn’t use sugar but corn syrup instead.
Vegan Ketchup Brands
Finding vegan ketchup can be a little tricky, but thankfully, there are plenty of fantastic options on the market. The following info is accurate as of 4/19/2022 in the US. Some of the best-reviewed vegan products include:
Organic vegan ketchup brands
- 365 Organic Tomato Ketchup
- Annie’s Organic Ketchup
- Heinz Organic Ketchup – read my post on Is Heinz Ketchup Vegan? to see which Heinz products are safe, as not all are!
- Organic Primal Kitchen Unsweetened Ketchup
- Tessemae’s Organic Ketchup
- Trader Joe’s Organic Ketchup
- Veg’d Organics Vegan All-Natural Ketchup
- Westbrae Natural Organic Unsweetened Ketchup
All of the above products are vegan, and many of them are healthier than other ketchup products you’ll find on store shelves. Some of these products don’t contain any sugar at all. With the right ketchup, you’ll be able to enjoy an appealing tomato flavor without any artificial sweetener!
No sugar/corn syrup! But not organic.
- True Made Foods Ketchup
Non-organic and contains corn syrup as the sweetener
- Burman’s (Aldi’s store brand)
- Del Monte Del Monte Ketchup
- Great Value Tomato Ketchup
- Hunt’s Classic Ketchup (Hunt’s 100% Natural Ketchup has sugar instead of corn syrup. So if you’re okay with sugar, then that brand would also be vegan)
- Kroger Tomato Ketchup
Watch out for
I’ve read a few bloggers listing French’s Ketchup as vegan. According to a user question and answer from French’s, “French’s Tomato Ketchup is not suitable for a vegan diet.” The person had asked if they use bone char in production. So, apparently, they do!
How Else Can You Find Vegan Ketchup?
In addition to the products listed above, you can find vegan-friendly ketchup by looking for products that are specifically labeled as vegan. You may also want to look at organic ketchup brands.
Although not all organic ketchup products are vegan, you can be sure that products labeled as organic won’t include sugar that was processed with bone char.
Unsweetened ketchup also has a higher chance of being vegan. If a ketchup product doesn’t contain any sugar at all, you won’t have to worry about bone char.
If there’s a particular brand of ketchup you enjoy, and you’re not sure that the product is vegan, it’s best to contact the manufacturer directly so that you can learn more about how it’s processed.
Can You Make Your Own Ketchup?
It’s easier to answer questions like is ketchup vegan if you’re making ketchup yourself! Making ketchup from scratch is surprisingly easy, and you may find that the final product is tastier than anything you’d find in the store.
You don’t need anything complex to make ketchup. Basic ingredients like tomato paste, vinegar, and various seasonings are all that you’ll need. I have a Homemade Ketchup recipe that’s vegan as long as you use vegan brown sugar. Don’t know which one to buy? Then just get an organic brand and that’s guaranteed to not have been processed with bone char.
I hope I’ve answered your question on whether ketchup is vegan or not! If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them below and I’ll be happy to answer. :)
