Heinz made green, purple and blue ketchup — kids loved it, parents did not

In July 2000, Heinz launched EZ Squirt — a line of colored ketchup packaged in squeezable plastic bottles designed for children. The first variety was green ketchup (made with green food dye instead of red), followed by purple, pink, orange, teal, and blue. The product was a response to declining ketchup consumption among children, who were increasingly choosing other condiments. Heinz spent heavily on marketing, positioning EZ Squirt as a fun way to make food more exciting.

The initial launch was strong: green ketchup sold 10 million bottles in its first seven months. But novelty wore off quickly. Parents refused to buy $2 bottles of dyed ketchup when regular ketchup cost a fraction of the price. The colors also stained hands and clothes — green ketchup left green smears on fingers and fabric that red ketchup did not. By 2006, Heinz quietly discontinued the entire line. The product became a museum piece: a green bottle of EZ Squirt is on display at the Museum of Failure.