Ching's SecretSauces & Ketchup#20 of 23 in categoryRating 2/5

Ching's Secret Original Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce

Red flags

  • Red flag: High added sugar (18.2g per 100g)
  • Red flag: High sodium (1620mg per 100g)
  • Red flag: Contains Sodium Benzoate

Green flags

Nothing stands out in its favour.

Ingredients, decoded

9 listed
ConcernWorth watchingIn label order. Tap a highlighted one to learn more.

EB5

Nutrition per 100 g
ENutritionBIngredients5Risk
VerdictPOOR
Energy159 kcal
Protein3.6 g
Carbohydrates34.7 g
Total sugars25.5 g
Added sugars18.2 g
Dietary fibre2.1 g
Total fat0.7 g
Saturated fat0.2 g
Trans fat0 g
Sodium1620 mg
Highlighted values exceed FSSAI and UK FSA front of pack thresholds.

Our take

CleanPlate review

A hot sauce with 1,620 mg sodium per 100 g

Ching's Secret Original Sriracha is water, sugar, chilli (20%), vinegar and salt with a modified starch, garlic, xanthan gum and the preservatives sodium benzoate and a sulphite.

CleanPlate scores it EB5. The E for nutrition is low: almost no credited protein, fibre or micronutrients per 100 g. The B for ingredients reflects a mix of whole and refined ingredients (led by sugar, chilli and vinegar), with additives that cost points: sodium hydrogen sulphite, acetylated distarch adipate and xanthan gum. The 5 for risk comes mainly from sodium (1620 mg per 100 g) and free sugar (18.2 g per 100 g).

Claims vs reality

What the pack says, checked against the ingredient list and nutrition panel.

  • Product name

    “Original Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce”

    Holds

    Chilli is 20% of the sauce.

  • Retail listing

    “Authentic taste of Sriracha”

    Be careful

    A marketing phrase; sugar is the second ingredient.

How EB5 breaks down

Each grade is scored on its own. Here are the label numbers behind each one, per 100 g.

How we score →
01 Nutritional valueA to E
E

Very low nutrient density

Protein
3.6 g
Fibre
2.1 g
Vitamins and minerals
None declared
Energy
159 kcal

Scored on protein, fibre and twelve vitamins and minerals, against the Codex and FSSAI "source" and "high" levels, per 100 g and per 100 kcal.

02 Ingredient & label integrityA to E
B

Good, few concerning additives

Base
Water
Sweeteners
Sugar
Additives
4
Flagged
Sodium Benzoate

Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.

03 Risk nutrients1 to 5
5

Very high risk

Added sugar
18.2 g
Sodium
1620 mg
Saturated fat
0.2 g
Trans fat
0 g

Scored on free sugar, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat, each weighed by how strong the evidence of harm is.

A closer look

Does the label add up?

Water, sugar, chilli 20%, vinegar, iodised salt, thickener (INS 1422), garlic, emulsifying and stabilising agent (INS 415 xanthan gum) and preservatives (INS 211 sodium benzoate, 222 sodium hydrogen sulphite).

Per 100 g: 159 kcal, 0.7 g fat of which 0.2 g saturated, 25.5 g sugar of which 18.2 g added, 2.1 g fibre, 3.6 g protein, 1620 mg sodium. Total fat is 0.7 g in the Nutrition Information text (the structured field says 0). The panel is per 100 g; the serve size is 5 g.

Ingredients to watch

  • SodiumConcern

    1,620 mg per 100 g; a 5 g serve already has 81 mg.

  • Added sugarConcern

    18.2 g per 100 g, with sugar second on the list.

  • A sulphite preservativeWorth watching

    INS 222 can trigger asthma in sensitive people.

  • Real chilliFine

    20% chilli with garlic and vinegar, declared with a percentage.

Common misconceptions

Myth: "A hot sauce is mostly chilli"

Here water and sugar come first and chilli is 20%.

Myth: "A sauce is only a spoonful, so sodium does not matter"

Two tablespoons already give about 490 mg, a quarter of a day's limit.

How often, and how

  • Healthy adultsOccasionally
  • ChildrenRarely
  • Diabetes or prediabetesLimit

Smarter ways to eat it

Use drops

Add a teaspoon at a time, and cut the salt elsewhere in the dish.

Make a fresh chilli paste

Blend fresh chilli, garlic and vinegar with a pinch of salt.

Common questions

Is Ching's Secret Original Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce healthy?

Ching's Secret Original Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce scores EB5 (Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it best kept as a rare treat rather than a regular buy. The main concerns are: High added sugar (18.2g per 100g); High sodium (1620mg per 100g); Contains Sodium Benzoate.

What does the EB5 score mean?

The first letter (E) grades nutritional value: very low nutrient density. The second letter (B) grades ingredient and label integrity: good, few concerning additives. The number (5) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): very high risk.

Which ingredients in Ching's Secret Original Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce should I watch?

Preservatives (INS 211, INS 222) (Sodium Benzoate).

Last reviewed October 9, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.

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