There are others, but they are generally seen as either budget options, or health food options.
We are starting to see more companies enter the market with sugar free ketchups, for example.
By me, Hunts is a common alternative to Heinz, but it seen as an option for people who buy on price, not taste.
Recently, I have been trying some of the sugar free options, but always also have a bottle of Heinz on hand, because if anyone comes over to my house, they will be disappointed with anything else. If kids come over, they might not eat their meal if it’s anything else.
Hunts and Del Monte are the other national brands. Then you have a ton of store and locality (state/region) specific options, as well as healthier/quality alternatives.
On a side note, American supermarkets being accused of having less options is genuinely a first for me to hear. On average, especially for common goods like this, you're looking at a 2-4x brand diversity in an American supermarket. That doesn't necessarily mean it's better quality, but you're definitely going to see more options just due to the sheer relative size of American supermarkets.
I'd like to clarify that I never "accused" American supermarkets of having less variety. In fact, my comment was aimed at expressing surprise at hearing such an accusation for the first time. Furthermore, I honestly don't necessarily find the 2-4 times brand diversity in American supermarkets to be particularly diverse, especially when comparing it to, for example, German supermarkets. Additionally, the size of a market does not imply "more brands" but usually means more space for the same brands, which doesn't necessarily equate to a greater variety.
> Additionally, the size of a market does not imply "more brands" but usually means more space for the same brands, which doesn't necessarily equate to a greater variety.
Well, just being someone who grew up in US and living in the EU now. As well as traveling quite prolificly throughout, I can attest (anecdotally, at least), that it does correlate to a larger brand diversity.
The point is that for all the stereotypes that American grocers/supermarkets are inundated with, lack of brand diversity/options is not usually one of them.
Implications, inferences, and outright suppositions aside.
Naturally on the Internet there is an infinite variety. But using that Whole Foods site to filter the list to what's physically available at stores in my area, it reduces down to a list that's more or less Heinz and Heinz-like.
Nobody I know gives a single thought to ketchup brands, Heinz or otherwise. Grab whatever is on the shelf, you'll have half a dozen choices. Never in my life have I heard that Heinz is better or higher quality. Just another brand.
But hey I live in the Midwest. Maybe the Heinz ketchup marketing juggernaut passed us by.
We are starting to see more companies enter the market with sugar free ketchups, for example.
By me, Hunts is a common alternative to Heinz, but it seen as an option for people who buy on price, not taste.
Recently, I have been trying some of the sugar free options, but always also have a bottle of Heinz on hand, because if anyone comes over to my house, they will be disappointed with anything else. If kids come over, they might not eat their meal if it’s anything else.