The thickness of catsups found on the market is fairly uniform, and there is rarely a cause for complaint on this score. When catsup is packed in cans, the thicker it is the better the buyer likes it as a rule; however with bottled goods excessive thickness is not a virtue but a cause of much annoyance to the consumer. It is better to have it just a shade too thin than too thick. Spicing and Sweetness Improper spicing of catsups is not a common fault either. Even where essential oils are used exclusively for spicing, a real good flavor can be had if the oils are properly administered. As to sweetness, many catsup makers are coming to the conclusion that the public is demanding a slightly sweeter catsup than was generally packed eight or ten years ago. There is very little doubt but what a composite sample from a half dozen prominent brands of today, if compared with a composite sample taken from the same brands ten years ago, would show quite an increase in sweetness. One of the largest selling brands on the market has a distinct sweetish taste, and the public, at least a large percentage of it, seems to like it. There are still many who like a tart or slightly sour taste, but the tendency is unquestionably in the other direction. “Black Neck” A rather common defect in bottled catsup is what is commonly called “black neck,” which is a darkened space in the neck of the bottle, all the way from a half inch to over two inches in depth. Several years ago I made a very thorough investigation of the causes of black necked catsup, and every thing seems to point to the fact that in nine cases out of ten it comes from leakage of air into the closure of the bottle. The space between the surface of the catsup and the top of the bottle should be a vacuum if the seal is perfect, as this space is left by the contraction of the catsup in the bottle when it cools. Many closures, no matter what style, do not seem to be entirely impervious to air, and the catsup gradually darkens as the air is gradually admitted. A suggestion for overcoming “black neck” will be given later under the head of “stacking catsup.” General Attractiveness The general attractiveness of the package is, of course, important. A cheap, unvarnished label which quickly becomes dirty looking, and a cheap tin cap which gets black and filthy looking on the inside after the catsup has been open a few days, do not enhance the sale of a product, and only make a very slight reduction in the manufacturing cost. The packer should by all means use either a re-tinned cap or an inside enameled cap. Ordinary plain tin caps should be absolutely barred, as they are entirely unfit for a bottled condiment which contains as much acid as catsup.