Quick answer
Both are Level 3. Organic ketchup swaps HFCS for organic cane sugar and uses organic tomatoes, but the cooking, concentrating, and bottling process is identical. "Organic" describes farming practices, not processing level.
Processing levels can vary significantly between brands and specific products within each category. Always check the ingredient list of the specific product you are considering. Use our product search to look up exact processing scores. These comparisons evaluate processing level and ingredient composition only. They do not account for taste, price, convenience, cultural significance, or individual dietary needs.
How do they compare by the numbers?
Sample products from each
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Frequently asked questions
Does organic ketchup mean less processed?
Not meaningfully. Organic ketchup uses organically grown tomatoes and cane sugar instead of HFCS, but the manufacturing process is the same: tomato concentration, cooking with sweeteners and vinegar, and pasteurization. Both are Level 3.
Is the sugar in organic ketchup better than HFCS?
From a processing standpoint, organic cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup are both refined sweeteners. HFCS undergoes enzymatic conversion that cane sugar does not, making it marginally more processed, but the difference in the final ketchup product is minimal.