Ottogi 'Tomato Ketchup' 50th Anniversary... 91 Units Consumed Per Person Nationwide

Ottogi 'Tomato Ketchup'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Ottogi’s ‘Tomato Ketchup’ celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

According to Ottogi on the 21st, the history of Tomato Ketchup dates back to August 1971. Ottogi introduced the first domestically produced tomato ketchup in Korea, inspired by the tomato sauce popular among Americans at the time.

Launched under the name ‘Domado Ketchup,’ this product captured consumers’ tastes and has sold approximately 1.41 million tons domestically up to last year. Converted to 300g tube products, this amounts to about 4.7 billion units. This means that each Korean consumed about 91 tubes on average.

Ottogi attributes the longevity of Tomato Ketchup to its successful popularization by producing a ketchup suited to Korea’s food culture, which is rich in fermented foods like kimchi and sauces. The ketchup emphasizes sweetness by adding starch syrup and sugar to tomato paste, which is made by simmering tomatoes for a long time into a liquid state. Each 300g tube contains more than 9.4 tomatoes, giving it a deep and rich flavor.

Tomato Ketchup has maintained consistency for half a century with little change. The only modifications have been switching from glass bottles to more convenient tube packaging and applying a clean cap to improve usability. This contrasts with typical processed foods that change their containers and logos every 3 to 4 years.

Meanwhile, Ottogi has prepared various online and offline events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tomato Ketchup. Ottogi released a viral video called ‘Ketchup Play’ on its official social media channels, creatively showcasing various ways to use ketchup. Along with this, two events are being held: ‘Ketchup Deco,’ where participants submit photos of food decorated with ketchup, and ‘Ketchup Art,’ where people express their daily lives related to Ottogi Ketchup through drawings.

Additionally, until the end of August, Ottogi’s official online shopping mall ‘Ottogi Mall’ is holding a ‘Tomato Ketchup 50th Anniversary Commemorative Sale,’ offering a special free shipping discount price of 5,580 won, a 34% discount. This sale features a generous selection ranging from the original rich Tomato Ketchup to flavor-targeted Jalapeno Ketchup and Curry Ketchup, as well as limited-edition spaghetti ramen with ketchup designs.

An Ottogi representative said, “Ottogi Tomato Ketchup, which has been responsible for Korean tastes over the past 50 years, is the result of efforts to provide consumers with delicious and wholesome food,” adding, “We will continue to strengthen our position as the number one ketchup brand in Korea through thorough quality control and consumer-friendly marketing activities.”