I think that ketchup is generally made from plant-based ingredients which are suitable for vegans, but veganism demands a high standard of ethics. Vegans refuse anything which causes direct and unnecessary cruelty to animals; they (obviously) refuse meat, they refuse civet coffee, then refuse cosmetics which were tested on animals, etc..

It is important to note that human beings, taxonomically speaking, are animals. Vegans never eat human flesh for this reason. It is necessary to ask whether ketchup results in significant amounts of cruelty to any animal, possibly including humans.

Ketchup is fucking nasty. It’s got vinegar in it, the texture is slimy and bizarre, and tomatoes were never meant to be served cold. Excessive amounts of sweeteners cannot make up for the fact that ketchup is a horrible food–in fact, sugar can make the flavor worse, because some savory dishes are better without sweeteners.

Considering the immense psychological suffering induced by consumption of ketchup, I think animal advocates should reevaluate the vegan status of plant-based ketchup. Additionally, psychological suffering is inflicted upon other humans when they smell ketchup without giving consent. Furthermore, we can only speculate what sort of agony is inflicted upon pets and other animals who come into contact with the unnatural monstrosity that is ketchup.

So far I have argued that ketchup usage constitutes cruelty, while ignoring the deleterious health effects of sweetened ketchup. Veganism is not a diet, and vegans may consume junk food derived from plants. However, ketchup consumption becomes increasingly difficult to justify when it is revealed that ketchup not only tastes bad, but also harms humans physically.

It makes logical sense too, because ketchup is also called catsup.