IT'S official. Ketchup is the king of the condiments. For according to a new poll, Brits are most likely to reach for the red bottle at our barbecues this summer.

Facing fierce opposition from other saucy summer stalwart’s, ketchup put the squeeze on the competition, collecting more than a third of votes.

But Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, which carried out the poll, warned: "Although we are all well aware of the levels of sugar in most things we consume in the summer, we are likely to overlook things such as sauces when it comes to sugar intake. Amazingly, some sauces can have even higher levels of sugar than soft drinks and therefore be more harmful to our teeth.

"Sauces, such as ketchup, have an added impact as they are sticky and can cling to our teeth, and as they are acidic this can contribute to further erosion if consumed too frequently and the teeth are not being looked after as well as they should."

Dr Carter added: "My advice is to drink plenty of water, especially directly after eating."