Heinz debuts ‘Marz Edition’ tomato ketchup grown in Mars-like conditions, may go to ISS

In a breakthrough for humanity, Heinz on Monday, Nov. 8 revealed its first-ever bottle of "Marz Edition" ketchup prepared on Earth in conditions equivalent to that on the Red planet. The rare ketchup was made with some premium-quality tomatoes grown on Earth but in challenging conditions such as that on Mars. For the first time, the company partnered with astrobiologists to manufacture premium quality ketchup in a harsh environment that resembled Martian soil, temperature, and water. It took 14 astrobiologists and some nine months to produce the new out-of-this-world sauce at the Aldrin Space Institute at Florida Tech, US. Heinz on Nov. 8, took to its official Twitter handle to announce the news. “Attention saucetronauts, the Heinz Marz Edition has landed! Grown under Mars soil conditions, feast your eyes on mankind’s first out-of-this-world ketchup,” the company wrote in a post. 

Cristina Kenz, growth manager for Kraft Heinz International Zone said in a statement, “We are so excited that our team of experts has been able to grow tomatoes under conditions found on another planet and share our creation with the world.” Further, she continued, “From analyzing the soil from Mars’ conditions two years ago to harvesting now, it’s been a journey that has proven no matter where we end up, Heinz Tomato Ketchup will still be enjoyable for generations to come.”

Heinz Martian edition may be launched to ISS

Heinz’s mars edition ketchup which is not on sale yet and took two years in the making demonstrates the long-term food production possibility in space. For this reason, the martian ketchup is in line to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS), reports have confirmed. "Before now, most efforts around discovering ways to grow in Martian-simulated conditions were short-term plant growth studies. What this project has done is look at long-term food harvesting. Achieving a crop that is of a quality to become Heinz Tomato Ketchup was the dream result and we achieved it," Andrew Palmer, who headed the team at the Aldrin Space Institute at Florida Tech told CNN.

While NASA has successfully done some plant harvesting in space, the ketchup opens the possibility of a long-term food production in space. Discussions have been ongoing to send into the space “tomato-growing experiment” after the product is tasted on 10 November in an event that will be hosted at 10 am ET, NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough told CNN. Aldrin Space Institute’s Dr Andrew Palmer said in a statement.