If tomatoes are a fruit, is ketchup a smoothie?
Heinz and Smoothie King have teamed up to create a tomato ketchup smoothie — and consumers are confused by the concoction.
The blood-red beverage — which hit select stores on Wednesday — blends açai sorbet, strawberries, raspberries, apple juice, and Heinz’s signature ketchup to create a sweet-tart taste.
Social media users reacted in shock to the announcement, with some saying they were sickened by the idea of the smoothie.
“I fear these are the end times,” one critic quipped beneath an Instagram post from Complex describing the drink.
“I want everyone involved in handcuffs,” another stated.
“This has to be one of the dirtiest things I’ve ever seen in my entire existence as a human being on this planet we call earth,” a third detractor declared. “Anyone who consumes this JAIL.”
Others insisted it must have been an April Fools’ prank being played in August.
But the drink is no joke.
The smoothie will be available for $5.70 for a limited time while supplies last at select Smoothie King locations across five markets: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Miami, and parts of the Greater New York area and Northern New Jersey.
Lori Primavera, Vice President of R&D and Product Marketing at Smoothie King, said that the smoothie is a result of months of “meticulous” research and development, testing, and tasting.
“We landed on a savory-sweet blend that celebrates the tomato in all its glory,” she shared.
While many were grossed out by the prospect of the drink, others were eager to try it out.
“I require this expeditiously,” one enthused on the Heinz Instagram account.
“The moment I’ve been waiting for,” a second chimed in.
Both Heinz and Smoothie King are highlighting their commitment to nutrition and ingredient quality as a focus of the collaboration.
“As always, our commitment to nutritious ingredients and our Clean Blends promise remain at the heart of every recipe—and this bold new blend is no exception,” Primavera said, underscoring Smoothie King’s commitment to their “No No List” of 75+ ingredients banned from their smoothies.
Similarly, Heinz employs seven “tomato masters” — the world’s top ketchup experts — to make sure the tomatoes are of high quality. Those tomatoes are then bottled into Heinz Simply Ketchup, which is made with just seven “real” ingredients and no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives.
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