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President Ronald Reagan declares ketchup a vegetable.

1981

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In an attempt to reduce the cost of school lunches, the Reagan administration determines that eliminating one vegetable from the school lunch program will cut $1.5 billion in costs. This is achieved by declaring ketchup and pickle relish as vegetables in order to meet the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) standard of requiring two vegetables in the lunch program.

There is great outcry from Congress members and community activists. Even Senator Heinz of Pennsylvania, who owns the Heinz Ketchup Company, disagrees with this strategy, which will never be implemented.