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Mang Tomas, banana ketchup barred in San Diego
What will happen to Filipino Christmas here?
This is like "banning ketchup and mustard before the Super Bowl
Rumors of a U.S. ban on popular Filipino condiments such as Mang Tomas, banana ketchup, and other traditional sauces have spurred panic buying among Filipino Americans in San Diego County and beyond. The FDA recently restricted imports of these tangy and spicy sauces, citing ingredients like BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and potassium iodate exceeding permissible levels. And despite risks linked to these preservatives, locals have been scrambling to secure the dipping sauces in time for the holidays.
Countywide, besides scouring the OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace platforms, Filipinos are meeting with strangers in parking lots to buy bottles of sauce for as much as ten times the original market value. "Without the special sauces for our big parties — Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve — it's really not the same," said Jon-Jon Hernandez of Chula Vista. He compared the situation to "banning ketchup and mustard before the Super Bowl — and I'm not over-reacting!"
Jufran Banana Sauce, a Filipino alternative to ketchup, fetches $23.
Hernandez and others are shelling out $20 to $25 per bottle for sauces that previously sold for just $2 to $5 at the Seafood City supermarkets in Mira Mesa and Chula Vista. "We're biting our tongues because we need the sawsawan for our house parties and Karaoke together," Hernandez added.
While many online claim the condiments are outright banned, the FDA clarified they are being detained at U.S. borders under Detained Without Physical Examination policies until manufacturers comply with safety standards.
The scarcity of sauces has turned some locals into opportunistic sellers. Kirby Pac from North County has been listing his surplus bottles of Mang Tomas sauce — traditionally paired with lechon (roasted pig) — for $20 each on Facebook Marketplace. His ad warns, “Only ten bottles left. Will not ship; meet around Peñasquitos or Mira Mesa on weekends. Priority to buyers purchasing multiple bottles—no bulk discounts.”
Pac's the only one left selling in San Diego on Facebook; before Thanksgiving, others who were selling apparently sold out.
On Amazon, Mang Tomas bottles sell for $20 plus $9 shipping, while Jufran Banana Sauce, a Filipino alternative to ketchup, fetches $23.
About six months ago, I remember buying a bottle of banana sauce at Ranch 99 on Claremont Mesa Blvd. for just $3-$4. I dip my Max's Fried Chicken and lumpia, deep-fried pork rolls, in the red-colored banana sauce.
It's not just Filipinos like me feeling the impact. According to hosts ' posts and replies online, a few non-Filipino guests were disappointed to find no Mang Tomas or banana ketchup to accompany their guests' dishes at recent Friendsgiving gatherings. Popular dipping sauces like UFC Sweet Chili Sauce and Jufran Sweet Chili Sauce, often served with lumpia, are also on the FDA-restricted list.
“I went to Seafood City for Mang Tomas Lechon Sauce and All-Purpose Sauce,” said Joselito Santos, “but it’s banned now! I have to find someone selling it or make it myself.”
Since Thanksgiving is behind us and the Christmas season in full swing, for those unwilling to pay inflated prices or unable to find the sauces, DIY recipes have become a last resort. Websites like TagalogLang.com offer step-by-step guides to recreate Mang Tomas using ingredients like breadcrumbs, vinegar, garlic, liver, sugar, and spices.
The shortage doesn’t end with the sauces mentioned above. Products like UFC Sweet Filipino Style Spaghetti Sauce, a staple for sweet spaghetti with hot dog slices, have been restricted. HDR Foods Corporation’s Kare-Kare Stew Mix, beloved in Filipino kitchens and restaurants across Mira Mesa and National City, is another casualty. Kare-Kare, a rich peanut-based stew featuring oxtail, tripe, and vegetables like banana blossoms and eggplant, is a staple for Filipino Christmas and New Year celebrations. Even its essential accompaniment, bagoong (fish paste), has faced restrictions in the past.
These scenarios are not the first time San Diego's food scene has faced challenges due to import restrictions or food bans. Around the time of Covid, local Thai restaurants struggled when retailers stopped selling a famous coconut milk brand over allegations of monkey labor in its supply chain. The coconut milk ban disrupted the curry menus, soups, and even the peanut sauce — San Diegans' go-to dishes and condiments when choosing Thai cuisine.
Food restrictions and bans go beyond Asia. Authentic brie cheese, made with unpasteurized raw milk, is illegal in the U.S. Haggis, Scotland’s national dish, has been banned since the 70s due to its inclusion of sheep lungs, and Beluga caviar is prohibited to protect overfished sturgeon, and even the Kinder Surprise Eggs with toys inside the egg-shaped chocolate treats are off-limits because of safety concerns related to the toys inside.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Mang Tomas, banana ketchup barred in San Diego
What will happen to Filipino Christmas here?
Mang Tomas, banana ketchup barred in San Diego
What will happen to Filipino Christmas here?
This is like "banning ketchup and mustard before the Super Bowl
Rumors of a U.S. ban on popular Filipino condiments such as Mang Tomas, banana ketchup, and other traditional sauces have spurred panic buying among Filipino Americans in San Diego County and beyond. The FDA recently restricted imports of these tangy and spicy sauces, citing ingredients like BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and potassium iodate exceeding permissible levels. And despite risks linked to these preservatives, locals have been scrambling to secure the dipping sauces in time for the holidays.
Countywide, besides scouring the OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace platforms, Filipinos are meeting with strangers in parking lots to buy bottles of sauce for as much as ten times the original market value. "Without the special sauces for our big parties — Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve — it's really not the same," said Jon-Jon Hernandez of Chula Vista. He compared the situation to "banning ketchup and mustard before the Super Bowl — and I'm not over-reacting!"
Jufran Banana Sauce, a Filipino alternative to ketchup, fetches $23.
Hernandez and others are shelling out $20 to $25 per bottle for sauces that previously sold for just $2 to $5 at the Seafood City supermarkets in Mira Mesa and Chula Vista. "We're biting our tongues because we need the sawsawan for our house parties and Karaoke together," Hernandez added.
While many online claim the condiments are outright banned, the FDA clarified they are being detained at U.S. borders under Detained Without Physical Examination policies until manufacturers comply with safety standards.
The scarcity of sauces has turned some locals into opportunistic sellers. Kirby Pac from North County has been listing his surplus bottles of Mang Tomas sauce — traditionally paired with lechon (roasted pig) — for $20 each on Facebook Marketplace. His ad warns, “Only ten bottles left. Will not ship; meet around Peñasquitos or Mira Mesa on weekends. Priority to buyers purchasing multiple bottles—no bulk discounts.”
Pac's the only one left selling in San Diego on Facebook; before Thanksgiving, others who were selling apparently sold out.
On Amazon, Mang Tomas bottles sell for $20 plus $9 shipping, while Jufran Banana Sauce, a Filipino alternative to ketchup, fetches $23.
About six months ago, I remember buying a bottle of banana sauce at Ranch 99 on Claremont Mesa Blvd. for just $3-$4. I dip my Max's Fried Chicken and lumpia, deep-fried pork rolls, in the red-colored banana sauce.
It's not just Filipinos like me feeling the impact. According to hosts ' posts and replies online, a few non-Filipino guests were disappointed to find no Mang Tomas or banana ketchup to accompany their guests' dishes at recent Friendsgiving gatherings. Popular dipping sauces like UFC Sweet Chili Sauce and Jufran Sweet Chili Sauce, often served with lumpia, are also on the FDA-restricted list.
“I went to Seafood City for Mang Tomas Lechon Sauce and All-Purpose Sauce,” said Joselito Santos, “but it’s banned now! I have to find someone selling it or make it myself.”
Since Thanksgiving is behind us and the Christmas season in full swing, for those unwilling to pay inflated prices or unable to find the sauces, DIY recipes have become a last resort. Websites like TagalogLang.com offer step-by-step guides to recreate Mang Tomas using ingredients like breadcrumbs, vinegar, garlic, liver, sugar, and spices.
The shortage doesn’t end with the sauces mentioned above. Products like UFC Sweet Filipino Style Spaghetti Sauce, a staple for sweet spaghetti with hot dog slices, have been restricted. HDR Foods Corporation’s Kare-Kare Stew Mix, beloved in Filipino kitchens and restaurants across Mira Mesa and National City, is another casualty. Kare-Kare, a rich peanut-based stew featuring oxtail, tripe, and vegetables like banana blossoms and eggplant, is a staple for Filipino Christmas and New Year celebrations. Even its essential accompaniment, bagoong (fish paste), has faced restrictions in the past.
These scenarios are not the first time San Diego's food scene has faced challenges due to import restrictions or food bans. Around the time of Covid, local Thai restaurants struggled when retailers stopped selling a famous coconut milk brand over allegations of monkey labor in its supply chain. The coconut milk ban disrupted the curry menus, soups, and even the peanut sauce — San Diegans' go-to dishes and condiments when choosing Thai cuisine.
Food restrictions and bans go beyond Asia. Authentic brie cheese, made with unpasteurized raw milk, is illegal in the U.S. Haggis, Scotland’s national dish, has been banned since the 70s due to its inclusion of sheep lungs, and Beluga caviar is prohibited to protect overfished sturgeon, and even the Kinder Surprise Eggs with toys inside the egg-shaped chocolate treats are off-limits because of safety concerns related to the toys inside.
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