Heinz is preparing its latest limited edition “vintage” tomato Ketchup in France, with bottles from the 2012 tomato harvest set to hit shelves in the next few weeks.

It may not yet have the cache of Beaujolais nouveau wine, but Heinz is making Ketchup Primeur an annual event after a successful launch in 2011. Bottles of 2012 will be available from supermarkets across France between October and December, the firm said this week.

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Ketchup Primeur contains unpasteurised tomatoes and uses 183g of tomatoes per 100g of sauce. Classic, non-vintage ketchup uses 132g of tomatoes per 100g, a spokeperson for Heinz France told just-food today (28 September).

Tomatoes are bottled no more than two days after harvest. Unlike a fine wine, however, Ketchup Primeur is not for ageing. It has a shelf-life of ten months and contains no preservatives, according to Heinz.

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