If Tomatoes are a Fruit, is Ketchup a Smoothie? HEINZ and Smoothie King Weigh In with First-Ever Tomato Ketchup Smoothie

PITTSBURGH, CHICAGO, & DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 6, 2025--

While everyone knows the age-old question “is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?” recently, thousands have started asking, “if tomatoes are a fruit, is ketchup a smoothie?” Today, the global leader in ketchup, HEINZ, teams up with the world’s largest smoothie brand, Smoothie King, to go all in and settle the debate. Introducing: The HEINZ Tomato Ketchup Smoothie, the first-ever ketchup-based smoothie, which blends real fruits with HEINZ Simply Tomato Ketchup to create a delicious and refreshing summer sip. Launching during peak tomato harvest season, when HEINZ tomatoes are the ripest, the limited-edition smoothie is now available exclusively at select Smoothie King locations nationwide, while supplies last.

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With new celeb-inspired smoothies dropping almost daily and millions of social media posts about smoothies in the past year alone – including thousands a day during the hot summer months – smoothies are clearly having a moment. 1,2 The HEINZ Tomato Ketchup Smoothie blends sweet Acai sorbet, crisp apple juice, juicy strawberries, and tart raspberries with the unmistakable taste of HEINZ Simply Ketchup, which is all-natural and made with red ripe tomatoes full of vitamins and antioxidants. The result? A sweet and fruity smoothie with a bright, tangy ketchup finish, perfect for HEINZ and smoothie lovers alike.

“When we saw this cultural debate start gaining traction, we knew we had to weigh in with a resounding yes!” says Angie Madigan, Vice President of Elevation Marketing at Kraft Heinz. “The idea of a ketchup smoothie is provocative, and our top priority was landing a delicious tasting fruit smoothie with distinct yet well-balanced ketchup notes. The experts at Smoothie King helped make this dream a reality, and we’re absolutely thrilled with the final smoothie we created together. And like it does for any food – from burgers to fries to eggs – the slightly sweet and tangy taste of HEINZ Ketchup elevates this traditional fruit smoothie to new heights.”

HEINZ and Smoothie King share a longstanding commitment to deliver incredible taste with quality at the core of their products and brought this ethos to creating the first-ever tomato ketchup smoothie. For HEINZ, quality starts on the vine. HEINZ employs seven ‘tomato masters’ (the world’s top ketchup experts) who make sure each tomato the brand uses is perfectly red, ripe, and as tasty as can be. Those tomatoes then go into each bottle of HEINZ Simply Ketchup, which is made with no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives and just seven real ingredients.

Like HEINZ, Smoothie King shares a commitment to using nutritious and delicious ingredients in its products. The brand’s Clean Blends promise—a commitment to blending a more nutritious smoothie that bans a 'No No List’ of 75+ ingredients the brand refuses to use in its smoothies, including artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives—remains central to its vision to make the world a better place by nourishing healthy habits.

“After months of meticulous R&D, testing, and tasting, we landed on a savory-sweet blend that celebrates the tomato in all its glory,” said Lori Primavera, Vice President of R&D and Product Marketing at Smoothie King. “As always, our commitment to nutritious ingredients and our Clean Blends promise remain at the heart of every recipe—and this bold new blend is no exception!”

The HEINZ Tomato Ketchup Smoothie launches during tomato harvest season, when HEINZ tomatoes are perfectly ripe and ready for enjoyment, and during the dog days of summer heat, when refreshing smoothies are a must to cool off. The HEINZ Tomato Ketchup Smoothie will be available starting August 6 th for $5.70 at select Smoothie King locations nationwide, while supplies last.

To find a Smoothie King Location featuring the HEINZ Tomato Ketchup Smoothie near you, visit Smoothieking.com/ketchupsmoothie. The smoothie will be available for a limited time at all Smoothie King locations across five markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Miami, and parts of the Greater NY area and Northern New Jersey. Fans who try the delicious offering are encouraged to weigh in on the cultural debate on social using #KetchupSmoothie.

ABOUT THE KRAFT HEINZ COMPANY

We are driving transformation at The Kraft Heinz Company (Nasdaq: KHC), inspired by our Purpose, Let's Make Life Delicious. Consumers are at the center of everything we do. With 2024 net sales of approximately $26 billion, we are committed to growing our iconic and emerging food and beverage brands on a global scale. We leverage our scale and agility to unleash the full power of Kraft Heinz across a portfolio of eight consumer-driven product platforms. As global citizens, we're dedicated to making a sustainable, ethical impact while helping feed the world in healthy, responsible ways. Learn more about our journey by visiting www.kraftheinzcompany.com or following us on LinkedIn.

ABOUT SMOOTHIE KING FRANCHISES, INC.

Smoothie King, the original U.S. smoothie franchise—founded in 1973—is a Dallas-based company with over 1,200 stores nationwide.

The brand is committed to its mission to inspire a healthy and active lifestyle through its Clean Blends initiative, which focuses on providing great-tasting smoothies with more whole fruits and vegetables while removing artificial flavors, colors and preservatives and added sugars in many of its blends. In April 2023, Smoothie King launched Smoothie Bowls, topped with whole fresh fruit and premium Purely Elizabeth™ granola, made with wholesome ingredients, non-GMO fruits and packed with flavor and nutrients. Smoothie King also offers retail products that include sports beverages, energy bars, vitamins, supplements and more.

Repeatedly recognized as a top franchise opportunity, Smoothie King was recently ranked #19 in Entrepreneur's 2025 Franchise 500 and #90 in Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers. The brand was also featured in the top 100 of Technomic’s annual America’s Favorite Chains data, which resulted in ranking #8 in Nation’s Restaurant News’ “America’s Favorite Chains” list earlier this year.

The HEINZ Tomato Ketchup Smoothie blends sweet acai sorbet, crisp apple juice, juicy strawberries, and tart raspberries with the unmistakable taste of HEINZ Simply Ketchup creating a bright, tangy ketchup finish, perfect for HEINZ and smoothie lovers alike.

HEINZ and Smoothie King Launch First-Ever Ketchup Smoothie Settling Ongoing Debate.

U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic as an ongoing crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.

Trump said late Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.

Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately reported on past unrest in Iran, gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran cross checking information. It said at least 544 people have been killed so far, including 496 protesters and 48 people from the security forces. It said more than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

The Latest:

China says it opposes the use of force in international relations and expressed hope the Iranian government and people are “able to overcome the current difficulties and maintain national stability.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday that Beijing “always opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs, maintains that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned “in the strongest terms the violence that the leadership in Iran is directing against its own people.”

He said it was a sign of weakness rather than strength, adding that “this violence must end.”

Merz said during a visit to India that the demonstrators deserve “the greatest respect” for the courage with which “they are resisting the disproportional, brutal violence of Iranian security forces.”

He said: “I call on the Iranian leadership to protect its population rather than threatening it.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday suggested that a channel remained open with the United States.

Esmail Baghaei made the comment during a news conference in Tehran.

“It is open and whenever needed, through that channel, the necessary messages are exchanged,” he said.

However, Baghaei said such talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation.”

The semiofficial Fars news agency in Iran, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, on Monday began calling out Iranian celebrities and leaders on social media who have expressed support for the protests over the past two weeks, especially before the internet was shut down.

The threat comes as writers and other cultural leaders were targeted even before protests. The news agency highlighted specific celebrities who posted in solidarity with the protesters and scolded them for not condemning vandalism and destruction to public property or the deaths of security forces killed during clashes. The news agency accused those celebrities and leaders of inciting riots by expressing their support.

Canada said it “stands with the brave people of Iran” in a statement on social media that strongly condemned the killing of protesters during widespread protests that have rocked the country over the past two weeks.

“The Iranian regime must halt its horrific repression and intimidation and respect the human rights of its citizens,” Canada’s government said on Monday.

Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday that “the situation has come under total control” after a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in the country.

Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim.

Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.

Iran’s foreign minister alleged Monday that nationwide protests in his nation “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.

Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim, which comes after over 500 have been reported killed by activists -- the vast majority coming from demonstrators.

Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.

Iran has summoned the British ambassador over protesters twice taking down the Iranian flag at their embassy in London.

Iranian state television also said Monday that it complained about “certain terrorist organization that, under the guise of media, spread lies and promote violence and terrorism.” The United Kingdom is home to offices of the BBC’s Persian service and Iran International, both which long have been targeted by Iran.

A huge crowd of demonstrators, some waving the flag of Iran, gathered Sunday afternoon along Veteran Avenue in LA’s Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian government. Police eventually issued a dispersal order, and by early evening only about a hundred protesters were still in the area, ABC7 reported.

Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.

Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with the the demonstrators, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver. A police statement said one person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt.

The driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.

Protesters burn the Iranian national flag during a rally in support of the nationwide mass demonstrations in Iran against the government in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)