A fraudulent ketchup operation is discovered in a New Jersey factory after bottles explode.
The term counterfeit usually goes in conjunction with money or other high ticket items.
But certainly not ketchup.
Recently, a warehouse located in Dover, New Jersey, leased by Wholesome Foods, LLC was discovered to contain hundred of boxes filled with plastic bottles, labeled with Heinz logos. However, authorities claim that the bottles were illegally re-packaged with intentions of selling them for a profit. Several tenants complained that the ketchup containers were exploding. Heinz officials say that they believed someone had bought bulk containers of traditional ketchup and placed them in smaller bottles with fraudulent labels. They were marked ‘Simply Heinz’, which is the premium, more expensive variety made with real sugar, which usually retails for roughly $3 per bottle.
Officials believe that the ingredients fermented in the heat, leading to the explosions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with Heinz to launch an investigation in the fraudulent ketchup operation.