Ketchup From Mars? Heinz Project Shows Tomatoes Can Be Grown In Martian Environment

The Kraft Heinz Co KHC is literally going out of this world with its newest condiment: the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Marz Edition, made with tomatoes grown by recreating similar soil, temperature and water conditions on Earth to those found on Mars.

What Happened: According to the company, the product is the result of a nine-month collaboration with a 14-person astrobiology team at the Florida Institute of Technology’s Aldrin Space Institute. This endeavor simulated conditions that could encourage tomato growth within the institute’s RedHouse, a Mars-like biodome, an environment where the seeds were cultivated in arid dust and with minimal water and fertilizing.

Dozens of varieties of tomatoes were tested before the one known as Heinzseed varietal 8504 produced the desired results.

“Before now, most efforts around discovering ways to grow in Martian-simulated conditions are short-term plant growth studies,” said Dr. Andrew Palmer, associate professor at the Aldrin Space Institute, adding that the project enabled his team to “see what the possibilities are for long-term food production beyond Earth.”

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What Happens Next: Alas for hamburger fans, you can’t say “Pass the Martian ketchup," because the company is not putting its Heinz Marz Edition ketchup into retail channels.

The Aldrin Space Institute team has submitted the first of three papers for scientific publication that charts the mission, with Palmer noting that “achieving a crop that is of a quality to become Heinz Tomato Ketchup was the dream result and we achieved it.”

Photo: Heinz