Ketchup: A Fishy History

<p><span>At the turn of the 20th century, 12 young men sat in the basement of the Department of Agriculture, eating meals with a side of borax, salicylic acid, or formaldehyde. They were called the Poison Squad, and they were part of a government experiment to figure out whether popular food additives were safe. (Spoiler: Many weren’t.) Food manufacturers weren’t pleased with the findings, but one prominent ketchup maker paid attention. Influenced by these experiments, he transformed ketchup into the all-American condiment that we know and love today. Except ketchup—both the sauce and the word—didn't come from the United States. The story of America’s favorite condiment begins in East Asia.</span></p> <div class="embedded-image" style="max-width: 800px;"><img class="mcePuppyImage" src="https://media.wnyc.org/i/800/487/l/80/2020/07/poison-squad-portrait.jpg" alt=""> <div class="image-metadata"> <div class="image-caption">Harvey Wiley (back row, third from left) and the members of The Poison Squad.</div> <div class="image-credit">(U.S. Food and Drug Administration)</div> </div> </div> <div class="embedded-image" style="max-width: 800px;"><img class="mcePuppyImage" src="https://media.wnyc.org/i/800/619/l/80/2020/07/poison-squad-dining.jpg" alt=""> <div class="image-metadata"> <div class="image-caption">Members of the Poison Squad dining in the basement of the Department of Agriculture. Harvey Wiley occasionally ate with them, to offer encouragement and support.</div> <div class="image-credit">(U.S. Food and Drug Administration) </div> </div> </div> <div class="embedded-image" style="max-width: 800px;"><img class="mcePuppyImage" src="https://media.wnyc.org/i/800/550/l/80/2020/07/poison-squad-sign.jpg" alt=""> <div class="image-metadata"> <div class="image-caption">The members of the Poison Squad came up with their own inspirational slogan, which hung on a sign outside the dining room.</div> <div class="image-credit">(U.S. Food and Drug Administration )</div> </div> </div> <h3><span>Guest</span></h3