If you were a child in the early 2000s, and if you (or your parents) weren't easily grossed out, perhaps you ate hot dogs or French fries with a bizarre ketchup that was green or purple in color.

The taste of this faux ketchup was just about as odd as its color and its texture. It had the artificial sweetener flavor I was expecting, with undercurrents of carrot and vinegar. These issues ...