Non-preservative catsups should either be processed after filling and sealing, or the bottles should be sterilized before filling and the catsup filled very hot without giving an after-sterilization. Catsups made with the addition of benzoate of soda are not processed; however, the fact that benzoate is used should not cause laxness at any stage in the manufacturing process. It is a mistake for manufacturers to think that ⅒th of 1% of benzoate of soda will keep their product in perfect condition regardless of how careless they are in their manufacturing processes. Advantage of Benzoate Catsups Some brands of benzoate catsup enjoy a very good sale, and are popular with those who do not like a strongly acid and sugary catsup, but prefer one which is mild and in which the predominating flavor is one of tomato blended with mild spicing. A restaurant using a catsup or chili sauce of this character will almost always use more of it than they will of a strongly acid catsup which is highly spiced. If the catsup is mild, more of it is usually used at a time. Causes of Poor Color and Flavor The chief objections to most of the catsups on the market are a lack of bright red color, and a more or less scorched taste. This may be due to a number of causes. The brownish color may be due to underripe tomatoes, or to tomatoes which were picked during a spell of cold, dark weather. It takes sunshine to give tomatoes a brilliant color, and when there is an absence of sunshine for a week or ten days many of the tomatoes will rot before they attain a bright red color. At such times during the season it is impossible to get a brilliant color, but if the packer will exercise as much control as he is able to over the picking, persuading the farmers to hold their tomatoes back just as long as possible, he will not have a great deal of such goods and he can get a fair color out of what he does get, out of these dull colored tomatoes. He should be careful not to mix brownish tinted catsup with the brilliant red goods. If he will keep similar shades of catsup in the same shipment he is not nearly as apt to have complaints as he will have if he mixes different colors. It is even more important that all the bottles in one case should be very nearly alike. A grocer who receives a case of catsup all of which is very slightly off in color will usually not complain unless it is decidedly off. If, however, off colored bottles are mixed in the same case with bottles of a brilliant red color, the poor colored goods suffer greatly by comparison, and then there is apt to be a complaint.