Ketchup sales up 20% in K'taka as tomato price rises

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The price of tomatoes has increased so much in Karnataka that it's now cheaper to buy tomato ketchup.

As of August 7, the price of one KG of tomato was sold at Rs 130 to Rs 160 per KG. Several food bloggers on social media are replacing tomatoes with tomato ketchup in their recipes.

With the increase in prices of tomatoes by almost 300%, most people have refrained from buying tomatoes.

This has become a boon for some by leading to an increase in sales of tomato ketchup in Karnakata. Food bloggers are increasingly using tomato ketchup in place of fresh tomatoes in their recipes.

For example, @cookd on Instagram shared a recipe for tomato chutney that calls for ketchup instead of fresh tomatoes. Another blogger used ketchup in her paneer butter masala recipe.

This trend is likely due to the fact that ketchup is more economical than fresh tomatoes. Canned tomatoes and packaged tomato puree are also popular alternatives, but they can be more expensive than ketchup.

Maggi and Kissan tomato ketchup sales in Karnataka have increased by 20% and 18% respectively in the past year, according to a report by Nielsen.

In June 2022, Maggi sold 10 lakhs of bottles of tomato ketchup in Karnataka, and 12 lakhs of bottles in June 2023, an increase of 20%. Kissan sold 8 lakhs of bottles of tomato ketchup in June 2022, and 9.6 lakhs in June 2023, an increase of 18%.

The sales of both brands had declined in the interim, after a popular influencer on Instagram (@foodpharmer) posted a reel claiming that the predominant ingredient in Maggi and Kissan ketchup is sugar, with very little tomato extract.

He revealed that for every 15 grams, Kissan has roughly 1 tablespoon of sugar and Maggi’s Rich Tomato Ketchup has even more sugar than tomatoes.

Maggi even had to come up with a new ad campaign that said, that a new recipe which has 22% less sugar without compromising on the taste This increase in sales is likely due to the fact that consumers are looking for a cheaper alternative to fresh tomatoes.

The price of tomatoes in Karnataka has increased by 300% in the past few months alone, making them more expensive than tomato ketchup.