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Should never have been a discussion. It can stay unrefrigerated until opened. Like so many other products. People really keep their sugary fruit paste open in the pantry?
Ever been to a restuarant that offers ketchup?
And as a server I was told to “marry” the bottles by pouring what’s left into another bottle to always make them appear full.
Yeah, there's probably enough sugar and other preservatives that it's fine. It's just a (superior) preference to have it cold :p
vinegar is the other main preservative
I've worked in many. You have to dump the ketchup weekly to wash the containers, then refill them.
I suppose, but I'd hope that those don't stay out for longer than a couple days before being used.
Have worked off and on in food service for two decades.
They get refilled at the end of the night or in the morning. And never see a refrigerator.
But ketchup is basically acid and sugar, not a great environment for microorganisms.
Yes, the acid makes it OK to be out for a while. A day, not months, which is a more typical lifespan for a home bottle.
I’ve been keeping (opened) bottles of ketchup in the cupboard all my life. It’s full of vinegar. It’s never gone bad, tasted off or made me get sick. I prefer room temperature ketchup over cold ketchup.