Heinz has a world first: a mega limited Marz edition (and it’s bizarre)
Heinz has a world first: a very limited edition of its tomato ketchup, the so-called Marz edition. The world’s best-known tomato ketchup maker has succeeded in growing tomatoes under conditions comparable to those on the planet Mars.
In collaboration with the prestigious Aldrin Space Institute in Florida, a team of astrobiologists secretly spent nine months growing tomato plants in the same type of atmosphere as on Mars. In a special Mars greenhouse — called ‘RedHouse’ — conditions of light, water, temperature and soil were carefully recreated. This is the first experiment of its kind in the world.
Scientific mission
Research into food production in space has been underway for some time. What makes this project exceptional is that no one had previously succeeded in growing plants under conditions comparable to those on Mars to the point where they could actually bear fruit. Most experiments currently investigating food production on Mars are limited to short-term plant growth studies. The scientific mission — from the initial idea to bottling the first prototype bottles — took two years in total and was carried out under the codename ‘Project Red’.
Taste?
The aim of the research was to determine whether it was possible to grow tomatoes with the same properties as tomatoes normally grown for the production of Heinz Tomato Ketchup. In other words, ketchup with the same thickness, colour and sweetness as regular Heinz tomato ketchup. Exactly the same ingredients were used for the ‘Marz Edition’. The only difference is that this Heinz Tomato Ketchup was made with tomatoes grown under simulated Martian soil conditions. Connoisseurs who were able to taste this special ketchup say they could not taste the difference from regular Heinz tomato ketchup.
Limited edition
Only a handful of prototype bottles were produced. Because the project is still in the experimental phase, the Marz Edition ketchup was tasted internally by only a very small number of selected people. The quantity of tomatoes harvested was limited by the capacity of the RedHouse greenhouse and the very strict quality standards under which Heinz tomato ketchup is produced. This special ketchup was made at the KHC Research Facility in California. At this R&D centre in the US, permanent research is conducted into new and innovative ways of making the iconic Heinz Tomato Ketchup. The bottles of extraterrestrial ketchup are now at Heinz’s headquarters.
See here the video showing the making of.
Image: SENT INTO SPACE, HEINZ
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