Warning issued to anyone who stores ketchup in the cupboard

Do you keep your sauce in the cupboard or in the fridge? An expert has finally settled the long-running debate over where it should be kept and it turns out many people have been doing it wrong.

If your opened sauces live in the cupboard, you're not alone, but according to a food storage expert, that's not where they belong. The correct place for ketchup once the bottle has been opened, he says, is the fridge, putting an end to the age-old argument once and for all. Joshua Houston, a food storage specialist at Household Quotes, has warned that keeping sauces in the cupboard could actually make you ill.

He says: "Bottled sauce is hugely important when it comes to some meals, ketchup with chips is a common sight across the country. No sauce can leave some dishes tasting dry.

"But ensure that you are storing your sauces properly, the last thing you want is to get ill from consuming something that has gone off.

"Refrigerating also allows you to get more for your money, as it gives you more time to finish the sauce before binning."

Heinz has also joined the discussion after a survey of 2,000 Brits suggested that four in 10 people have been storing their ketchup incorrectly. Many confessed to keeping their Heinz Tomato Ketchup in the cupboard instead of the fridge.

The study showed that people in Sheffield were among the biggest offenders, with nearly two-thirds (62%) admitting to storing their ketchup in the cupboard.

Olivia Lennon from Heinz Tomato Ketchup said: "There was only ever one correct answer, and we're happy to share with Heinz Tomato Ketchup lovers across the UK that our ketchup has to be in the fridge. Although we're aware many Heinz Tomato Ketchup fans have been storing their ketchup in the cupboard, we do recommend refrigeration after opening.

"This is the best way to maintain the delicious tangy taste of our Heinz Tomato Ketchup that you know and love."

So, if your ketchup has been sitting in the cupboard, now's the time to move it to the fridge.