Why is Ben's Original Cantonese Soy Spicy Sauce classified as ultra‑processed (NOVA 4) and what specific additives does it contain?

The sauce is made from refined ingredients such as modified starch, added sugars, and a blend of spices, and it includes several industrial additives, notably a simple sugar colour (E150) and a natural flavouring that contains celery extract; these characteristics place it in the NOVA 4 ultra‑processed category.

How does the sugar and salt content in this sauce affect a diabetic or hypertensive diet?

At 13 g of sugar per 100 g, the sauce can cause a rapid rise in blood glucose, which is problematic for people with diabetes, while its 0.74 g of salt is lower than many sauces but still contributes to total sodium intake, so hypertensive individuals should use it sparingly.

Based on the ingredient list, is this sauce suitable for vegan, keto, halal, or gluten‑free diets?

The sauce is vegan because it contains no animal‑derived ingredients, but it is not gluten‑free due to wheat in the soy sauce, nor keto‑friendly because of its high sugar content; halal status is likely acceptable as it contains no pork or alcohol, though the presence of a traditional spirit vinegar may require verification.

Ben's Original, Uncle Ben’s • 400g

Sauce Kantonesisch Soja Pikant

Fat And Sauces

Product Insights

Ben's Original Cantonese Soy Spicy Sauce is a 400 g glass‑packaged condiment sold under the Ben’s Original (formerly Uncle Ben’s) brand. It belongs to the “Fat and sauces” and “Dressings and sauces” groups, carries a Nutri‑Score of C, is classified as NOVA 4 ultra‑processed, and provides low fat (0.5 g) and saturated fat (0.1 g) but a relatively high sugar level of 13 g per 100 g, while salt is 0.74 g. The formula contains wheat, soy and celery, making it unsuitable for gluten‑free, soy‑free or celery‑free diets, and includes a simple sugar colour and natural flavouring as its main additives.

Nutrient Levels

Traffic light indicators

Fat

low

Saturated Fat

low

Sugars

high

Salt

moderate

Nutritional Values

Values per 100 g

Energy Kcal75 kcal

Fat0.5 g

Saturated Fat0.1 g

Carbohydrates17 g

Sugars13 g

Comparative Analysis

Compared with average sauces, this product has about 20 % more sugar, roughly one‑twentieth the fat, and considerably less salt per 100 g.

Ingredients

Wasser, Zucker, Zwiebeln, Modifizierte Stärke, Roter Paprika (2.9%), Gelber Paprika (2.9%), Babymais (2.2%), Branntweinessig, SOJASAUCE (1.7%) (Wasser, SOJABOHNEN, WEIZEN, Salz), Pilze (1.4%) (Shiitake), Ingwer (1.0%), Knoblauch, Salz, Farbstoff (einfaches Zuckerkulör), natürliches Aroma (enthält SELLERIE), Hefeextrakt, Gewürze, Sonnenblumenöl.

84%

35%

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