Why those strange ketchup bottles on the beaches of Puglia?– The video

Hundreds of them have been available for weeks, along with other American products.But for now there are only hypotheses regarding the origin

Hundreds and hundreds of ketchup bottles Heinz.This is what those who walk on the beaches find Puglia in the last few weeks.From Toasts until Salento, the Adriatic coast has been invaded by red bottles since the last storm less than a month ago.There is no label, but the two "57” near the cap leave no doubt about the brand of the sauce."It's not what they sell in Italy, though," he says Enzo Suma, among the first to notice the strange invasion with his page Archaeoplasty.«Ketchup is not the only American product that has arrived – he explains – there are also bottles of mayonnaise and mustard, breakfast products, shaving foam, energy drinks, and various snacks».When there is a label it is easier to understand that these are products from the US market thanks to the bar code.But even when it isn't there, it's the product itself that is unmistakable:“I don't think I've ever seen mustard-colored cheese spray in a can like the whipped cream can in Italy,” says Suma, a 41-year-old nature guide, laughing.

Where do they come from?

Often the products are found in jute bags originally intended for coffee.Sometimes in the case of ketchup, the packages are empty, but in other cases, such as mayonnaise, they are still full and sealed.The deadline?September 2022.At the moment, the most accredited hypothesis is that according to which the products fell from a US military ship, perhaps during loading of goods or during a storm.In recent months, in fact, several of these ships have crossed the Mediterranean.Since the war in Ukraine began, trafficking has intensified.The hypothesis of a merchant ship supplying the USA via the Mediterranean seems less likely, but nothing is ruled out.Similarly, it could be a cruise ship from a US company.

Archaeoplasty

The origin of the products is certainly the biggest mystery.Finding plastic packaging on Apulian beaches, in fact, is extremely common.But usually these are objects that are or were usually found in Italian supermarkets.In fact, it is not uncommon to come across cleaning products from the 70s with the label still perfectly legible, vials of cream, bottles of Coca-Cola and bathroom products of all kinds.«What I try to do with Archeoplastica is to raise awareness of how long the plastic that ends up in the sea lasts and how serious the problems it generates are», adds Suma, who now has a new mystery to solve.